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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853184">Reki/Langa Oneshots because they deserve the world</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unironicallycursed/pseuds/unironicallycursed'>unironicallycursed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SK8 the Infinity (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Do some of these count as hurt/comfort?, First Kiss, Fluff, I haven't written in years, I just love these two a whole lot, I just wanted to write something for a fanbase i like, I really do just love them a whole lot, I think I just really like soft hurt/comfort, If Reki and Langa can't be together no one can be together, Like, M/M, Skateboarding, a whole lot, and some violence?, another red and blue hair dynamic, because of language, fuck yeah, i hope they do, let them be happy please, one or two of these can probably be read as friendships, rated t for teen, so don't worry if you don't ship them, sorry if this sucks haha, there will probably be something for you here, this is all going to be one shots isn't it?, this is going to stay very wholesome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:35:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28853184</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unironicallycursed/pseuds/unironicallycursed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically, I just really love this show and thought I'd contribute some content! Reki and Langa bring me SO MUCH JOY so I thought I'd write for them! Expect literally everything wholesome here folks!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hasegawa Langa/Kyan Reki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>247</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Sun That Never Melts Your Ice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes the weather gets quite warm during the summer on Okinawa. Langa Hasegawa is NOT pleased by this.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The weather is warm. Comfortably warm. Well, comfortably warm for anyone used to it. For Langa Hasegawa, however, the warmth was stifling. His clothes stuck to his arms as if he'd taken a shower with them on. It made him fidgety. Uncomfortable. Classes dragged on, as each lesson became more and more warm. Maths became hardest of all, as each glace to his left made his whole body flush with an indescribable warmth. There sat Reki Kyan, Langa's classmate and skating buddy. Reki's bright red hair, along side his amber eyes, were hard to miss, but Langa never really ever missed them, considering he ends up finding himself unconsciously staring. Then again, it is extremely easy to end up staring at the glowing honey eyes of the ambitious redhead. The ever so slight ticking of the second hand of the clock sliced through the melting silence of the classroom. Langa shuffled in his class seat as, while each second passed, the heat became more and more on his nerves. The scratching of pencils and shifting of fabric amidst the silence made the class feel awkward to no end. The normally level headed and cool boy began to count down the seconds before the lesson finally ended.</p><p></p><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y groupStart-23k01U wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p> </p>
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>'Five. Four. Three. Two. One.'</p>
      <p> </p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>Langa counted until the bell slaughtered the once-looming silence that stood dominantly over the class. Instead of packing up his books, he looked over to Reki, sat by the window, the golden light of the sun complimenting his face. Reki began to pack his things as quickly as he could to escape the uncomfortable classroom, until he turned to face his friend to the right. His eyes completely locked on to Langa's without him realising. Not a second had passed and they had both awkwardly broken away to pack the rest of their belongings.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="buttonContainer-DHceWr">
    <p>Packed and itching to leave, Reki and Langa made their way out the doors as fast as they could. Running down the corridor, their steps loud and rushed, the boys raced eachother to the lockers to recieve their trainers and boards. Each kid fumbled at their locks as they quickly pulled off their school shoes and slipped on their skating trainers. Langa stared at the back of his locker, wondering why, every time he took even the smallest glance at Reki, his whole interior just melts. He became eager to see Reki's hair flow in the wind as he speeds down the pavement. To see Reki's face, smiling as he felt what his true happiness is. To see Reki.</p>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Langa? Laaangaaa?" Reki called into the boys ear as he spaced out, thinking about watching the redhead skate freely. As Reki waved his hand in front of the icy haired boy's face, in a very comical fashion mind you, Langa quickly snapped his head towards Reki's direction, once again meeting his eyes of pure amber.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yes, Reki?" Langa responded, suddenly aware of his surroundings.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You ready to go?" Reki asked, kicking his board up into his hand.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Oh, uh... Yeah, I'm ready!" Langa returned back to reality after his ever so saccharine daydream.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p> </p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>The subtle rumble of the board wheels flowed through the air as the boys flew through their surroundings. Thank goodness for gravel roads, as they are acquainted with these tropes, the instability of the terrain did not bode well with the wheels well. Langa, being the beginning that he is, knowing he JUST nailed his first ollie, was still finding his balance. Just his luck the road wasn't the smoothest, because just as he began to catch up to Reki, Langa's wheels miraculously gave way. The aggressive roll of board roared through the air as Langa lost his once-balanced footing and fell, knocking Reki down with him. The boards rolled in unison and crashed into the nearest wall, meanwhile Reki and Langa fell in unison and crashed into eachother.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="buttonContainer-DHceWr">
    <p>Collapsed onto eachother, Reki and Langa laid for a bit, trying to stop their heads from spinning. Not realising that Langa, you know, fell ON TOP OF HIM, Reki tried to sit up. This only made Langa's dizzy head slide down to Reki's stomach. Reki's hand slowly lifted up and pressed his finger on the crown of Langa's icy blue hair. This made Langa slowly lift his head up to meet his eyes with Reki's. This time, they kept their contact, unwavering, unbreaking, uninterrupted. Langa slowly, and still slightly dizzily, made his way up until he was eye level with the redheaded boy, keeping eye contact the whole time. Once again, Langa felt that strange melting feeling as he kept his eyes fixated on those of the boy in front of him. His mind began racing with thoughts, thoughts of appreciation, thoughts of friendship, thoughts of... romance. 'No, I can't do that,' Langa thought to himself, wondering if he should get any closer. 'What if he doesn't-'. The boy was cut of by Reki, breaking the eye contact and embracing him for a hug. Langa was startled by this act of kindness, but soon let his chin rest on the other's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Reki's chest and placing his hands on his back.</p>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p>After the never ending, yet comfortable silence, Reki broke it with a caring and gentle</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You alright there?". Langa felt his whole body turn red as he broke the embrace and stuttered back a response of</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I, uh, I'm fine" while awkwardly laughing it off. He then followed on with</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"How about you, Reki? Are you okay? I mean, I fell on top of you and all..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Dude, I've had way worse. You could never truly hurt me, so don't worry" Reki responded, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"But... Reki! Your elbows! You're bleeding!" Langa exclaimed as he discovered the scraping on Reki's arms.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Let me patch it up for you okay?" Langa offered as he got his bag off of his back to look for medical supplies. Reki laughed it off with a</p>
      <p>"I just fell and scraped it on the concrete. Whaddya gonna do? Kiss it better?".</p>
      <p>The sheer concept of that made Langa stop in his tracks to consider it a possibility.</p>
      <p>"What? Do you want me to or something?" Langa replied, half joking, half not so much. Much like what Reki had done, Langa had shocked the boy into a bit of a stuttering mess.</p>
      <p>"I- uh, I mean- You-" Reki attempted to form words, but nothing came out of his mouth.</p>
      <p>Langa had finally found a bandage to wrap around Reki's elbow, as a bandage would look so much more badass than a plaster, so he leaned over to the boy's arm and began to patch him up. After multiple layers of bandage and a little bit of cotton later, Langa ripped the end of the bandage away from the rest of the wheel and placed it back in his bag. He kept staring at the white fabric on Reki's arm, thinking, wondering, debating. He decided to gently hold Reki's arm in his hands and leaned in to subtly peck at the boy's elbow. 'I shouldn't have done that. I should NOT have done that' Langa kept telling himself as he slowly pulled away and zipped up his bag. He daren't look back at Reki, in fear of rejection. Once again, Langa left Reki a complete verbal mess.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p>"I- You- I thought-" He stumbed on his words until Langa cut in with a gentle voice</p>
  <p>"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for...", only to be followed by the sound of slight laughter.</p>
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I didn't think you'd do that...". This made Langa's heart sink. He felt sick to his stomach. His best friend, who he had the blessing of getting close to, was about to leave him forever, never to be seen again. " Like I said, I'm sor-" Langa was very quickly interrupted by Reki swiftly moving in and crashed his face into the unexpecting boy's. Langa's cold eyes suddenly flew open and glowed with a new kind of undiscovered warmth. A warmth he longed to find. A warmth only Reki could give. It wasn't passionate. It was quite on the contrary. It was soft, gentle, caring. Langa closed his eyes and gave back, but not in a rough way. With the gentleness of a feather, Langa gave back, arms wrapped around Reki's sides. After what felt like hours, but was probably only a minute, Reki carefully came away and opened his eyes to meet Langa's.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"So, you uh-" Reki started, but was interrupted by the surprise of Langa silently getting up to retrieve their boards.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p> </p>
      <p>'What the hell happened there?' Reki thought to himself as he waited for Langa to return. 'Has he felt like this the whole time? Has he felt like how I feel this whole time?' Questions circled Reki's mind until Langa came running back, both boards in hand. He set his to the floor and firmly placed his foot on top of it's surface. He outstretched his free arm to help Reki up, and the boy happily accepted the offer. Langa helped pull Reki up and handed him his board back.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You probably want this back" Langa said, quietly.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Oh, uh, thanks! It would be useful to have it after all, haha. No use just carrying the old thing!" Reki laughed as he set his board down. Langa wiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his school jacket, realised it was WAY too hot to keep it on, tied it around his waist and got ready to go once again. Thinking back to what had just happened, Langa had to ask. He had to.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"So, Reki, do you want to-"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yes."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You didn't let me finish..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I know. I just already knew what you were going to ask and I already knew my answer."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Oh, okay..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>'Crap...' Reki thought, 'I should have let him ask...'</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Uh, Langa?"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yeah?"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Do you... Want to ask me again? I shouldn't have cut you off..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Ah, thanks" Langa cleared his throat and prepared to ask Reki. For the second time.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Uh, Reki, so do you want to, perhaps, maybe, by chance... Would you like to..." Langa struggled to form his words. He inhaled sharply and looked straight into those eyes that he loved so very dearly.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Do you want to... go out... with me?".</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p> </p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>Langa took a sigh of relief and looked away, but then his filter switched off and immediately began to say in a very rushed speed</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"It's okay if you say no. I respect that. I'd still like to be friends though, I hope this doesn't ruin anything between us. I just-" The boy was cut off by the calming words of</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Hey. It's okay, don't worry! I'd love to!"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Wanted to let you kn- wait... Really?"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yes, you idiot. I'd love to. I mean, I've known for a while, dude. You aren't subtle" Reki verbally jabbed at Langa.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Wh- what do you mean 'you aren't subtle'?" Langa questioned, trying to hide his ever-reddening face behind his hands.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I can see out the corners of my eyes. Everyone can. I see you catching glimpses and straight up staring in class" Langa, at a loss for words, felt like he was on fire. Was it really that obvious?</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Was I really that obvious?" He asked, feeling like he could melt into a puddle of embarrassment at any given moment.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yeah, but no one else really picked up on it except for me, thank goodness. It's cute, honestly. When I catch you staring and you get all flustered, I can't help but laugh to myself. It's adorable really," The redhead confessed.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"So, yes, I'd love to go out with you, you damn idiot. What else would I have said? Wait- don't answer that" Reki continued.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p> </p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"So, as our 'first date'," Reki said, kind of jokingly,</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Where do you want to go?"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I mean, going for coffee is conventional but it is waaaay too hot for that..." Langa piped up as they sped down the slope of the road.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Oh, if you want to do drinks, I know this area well! There's a great tea place just around... Here!" Reki took a sharp left turn, and Langa followed suit.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I'm happy with whatever you like, Reki!" Langa shouted from slightly behind, the wind in his hair cooling his still blushing face.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p>"Great! Keep following me then!" Reki smiled and beckoned Langa to skate closer to him. All nervousness seemed to fade away within the Canadian boy as he skated across the street, just short of Reki. He felt calm. He felt at ease. He felt happy. A slight chime from the bell above the door to the cafe rang out as Reki walked in, Langa not far behind. The warm lights and light wooden decor, mixed with fake foliage and ironwood furniture made Langa feel at ease. The whole atmosphere had a very soft and warm vibe to it. Reki, confidently, made his way up to the counter and looked behind his shoulder to see Langa standing a few steps away.</p>
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Hey, it's alright. Come join me" He reassured the boy, so Langa took a few steps closer.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You ever had this before?" Reki asked, wondering if this whole experience was foreign to Langa. Evidently, the blue-haired boy shook his head and responded with a quiet</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"No, I haven't..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"That's okay! Don't worry about it at all! I promise you'll like this!" Reki, once again, reassured him. Langa moved ever so slightly closer to Reki, so they stood side by side. Slightly nervous, Langa moved his hand ever so closely to Reki's, but he slightly held back. 'Should I do this out here? In public? In front of people??' He began to overthink. Reki gave Langa a soft look and glanced downwards, then back up at the boy, and smiled. "We'll start small, okay?" Reki offered, making sure Langa was as comfortable as possible. Reki went and linked his smallest finger with Langa's, enjoying every moment.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p> </p>
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>A couple minutes passed and the server reached the two at the counter.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Hi, welcome to- oh! Hey Reki! Long time no see! Good to see you again! Who's this you brought with you?" The server asked, gesturing to Langa. Realising Langa might not be comfortable with other people knowing just yet, Reki responded with</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Oh, this is my good friend from school, Langa!". Reki turned to him and smiled.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Well, it's nice to meet you!" The server admitted and smiled at Langa too.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"So, do you two know what you'd like?"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Reki, there's so much to choose from..." Langa whispered to Reki, not wanting to cause a fuss.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yeah, there is a lot, haha" Reki laughed</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Just choose what you think sounds best to you okay? I already know what I'd like so I'll give you some time to decide" He carried on.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Ah, thank you" Langa thanked Reki, then turned to stare at all of the options available.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Yeah, uh, I'll have strawberry milk tea with strawberry pearls, less ice and extra sugar please?" Reki requested over the counter.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Sure can do! And what about you there, my friend?" The server asked Langa as he stood tense next to Reki. Noticing his tension, Reki placed a hand on his shoulder and reassured him</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Just take your time, it is okay".</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I, uh-" Langa started, "Can I just have milk tea with tapioca, please? Oh, with, um, less... sugar and more ice?" The boy requested, taking a sigh of relief when he finished. "Great, I'll be back with your drinks in a moment!" The server said with a smile as they stepped away from the counter.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p>The couple stood for 3 minutes or so until the server called them over for their drinks.</p>
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"One strawberry milk tea, strawberry pearls, half ice, more sugar and one milk tea, tapioca, half sugar, more ice" The server announced as the two made their way to collect their drinks.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Hey. This was my idea, I'm paying ok?" Reki explained to Langa, their hands only just still holding. Langa daren't fight back with him, as the last thing he wanted was an argument.</p>
      <p>"Alright then, your total is ¥1270" The server said as Reki went up to pay. He shot Langa a sad look as he had to let go of his hand for a moment. Langa was okay with it though, he understood. He wasn't a child. Reki paid and collected their drinks and thanked the server. He made his way to the door and held it open for Langa, trying to be a gentleman for him. Once they stepped back outside, they were hit with the warmth of the early evening sun.</p>
      <p>"Here, lemme show you how to do it" Reki demonstrated as he aggressively pierced the film lid of his tea with his straw. Langa followed suit, not spilling a drop.</p>
      <p>"Oh, hey! You did it! Well done!" Reki congratulated him and patted him on the back for his effort.</p>
      <p>"Want to head to the skate park? We don't have to use it" The redheaded boy offered before he went to drink.</p>
      <p>"Sure, it'll be nice to watch the sun go down there" Langa agreed with Reki, so they set back off to the skate park, wheels rolling against the now smooth roads of the town.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p> </p>
  <p>They both eventually reached their destination, with the park being surprisingly empty. With their boards in one hand and drinks in the other, the two sat down onto the bench and looked out into the horizon. The boards now laid upon the ground, Reki and Langa sat in a comfortable silence as they drank and watched the sun go down. After a while, Langa eventually piped up to say</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p></p>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Your eyes. They match the light of the sun this time of day".</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"They do?" Reki asked, which was followed by Langa nodding.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"I've always thought this time of day is the most beautiful..." Langa confessed, completely realising what he had said.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Does that mean you think my eyes-"</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Not just your eyes. Everything, really. I know that comes across as corny, but I really mean it..."</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"Well, if my eyes are like the sun, I want to be a sun which never melts your ice" Reki didn't even let Langa get a single word in before he decided to go back in once again. He shuffled along the bench some and got closer, slowly. He stopped for a moment.</p>
    </div>
    <div class="markup-2BOw-j messageContent-2qWWxC">
      <p>"You're okay with this, right?" Reki asked, wanting to make sure his significant other was comfortable. He nodded and Reki, with all the confidence in the world, went back in to kiss his now boyfriend.</p>
    </div>
  </div>
</div><div class="message-2qnXI6 cozyMessage-3V1Y8y wrapper-2a6GCs cozy-3raOZG zalgo-jN1Ica">
  <p> </p>
  <p>Once again, it was gentle. Comfortable. Understanding. This time with a slight hint of strawberry. What remained of the sun's golden light highlighted the young pair's faces as they both found their combined place in the world. And at once, all was perfect.</p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="contents-2mQqc9">
    <p> </p>
    <p>The weather was warm. Comfortably warm. Even for Langa Hasegawa. As that warmth reminds him of what he loves most.</p>
  </div>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HI! This is my first book AND day with an account on here! I haven't fully written since 2017, so this really is quite nice, huh? I hope to write some more at some points, but college keeps me on my toes haha. I look forward to writing more in the future :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Can I Be Electric Too?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Langa falls pretty hard and fast.</p><p> </p><p>In a physical way.</p><p> </p><p>Reki is just the good boyfriend that he is and goes to helps him up</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Aaaaand... Ooooh, are you okay there?" </p><p> </p><p>Langa came crashing down from his board, his bright blue eyes slightly glazed over with tears as his knees became scraped up and bloody from the rough surroundings. After skating for a couple months now, he thought he would finally be able to stick a nose stall off of the edge of the skate ramp at the nearby park, but he immediately slipped and came tumbling down instead. Like tumbleweed, Langa rolled down the ramp, skidding to a halt on his knees, falling into the gravel of the ground beneath him. The icy boy sucked a slight breath through his teeth as he pulled his knees in, wanting to get up. </p><p> </p><p>The slight, dull tap of rubber soles against the ground rhythmically made their way towards Langa. He looked up to see Reki, holding his hand out to help him up and stay stable. There two things Reki hated about helping Langa up after the boy had fallen. One is the idea of Langa's hands being scratched up and harmed. He was aware of the risks of skating, but the sheer thought Langa getting hurt crushed his soul. The other thing is the idea of, even though he gets to hold Langa's hand, he doesn't get to hold it for long. And he wants to hold those cold, soft hands forever. But he can't, as Langa had become so eager to keep pushing forwards. Reki was pleased, so very pleased, by Langa wanting to continue, but every time Langa let go of his hand, Reki stared at his own, wishing it could stay in Langa's forever. </p><p> </p><p>"Need some help up from down there?" Reki knelt down, hand and arm still outstretched.</p><p>"Oh, right... Thanks" Langa responded to the redhead's question. He gently placed his hand within the other boy's, and Reki gently pulled him up, but only onto his knees, so he could stay seated firmly on the groud. Langa let out a sound between his teeth that Reki could only pick up on as discomfort.</p><p>"Are... uh... You alright there?" Reki asked again, this time glancing down at Langa's knees, still slightly bloody and raw from his fall.</p><p>"I'll help you get patched up, okay?" The redhead offered, starting to get back up.</p><p>"No."</p><p>This stopped Reki in his tracks.</p><p>"No?"</p><p>"No. Just stay here with me for a moment? Please?"</p><p>"Okay... But it'll be your fault if your grazes get infected because you didn't clean them."</p><p>It was at this moment Reki realised that Langa has never let go of his hand. As soon as he had offered, the boy had taken it and didn't let it go. Even when Reki tried to get up, it was still there, rough palm placed against palm. </p><p> </p><p>This was then when Langa noticed he hadn't let go. Embarrassment filled his body and he immediately pulled away.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I should have let go. It must have been uncomfortable. My hands are all cold and cut up and-" The blue boy apologised profusely, refusing to even look at Reki at this point. </p><p>"You really do apologise a lot for nothin', don't you?" Reki laughed as he slowly, but surely, began to reach back over for Langa's hand.</p><p>"Nothing...?"</p><p>"Yeah, you apologise a lot for things that don't... well... require apologies" Reki reassured the nervous boy sat in front of him.</p><p>"Has to be a Canadian thing then!" The ambitious boy continued, smiling.</p><p>"How on earth did you come to that kind of conclusion?" Langa asked, slightly laughing at the absurdity of the statement. The tears that were once there had dried out as he continued to laugh to himself. He finally got the confidence to turn his head back towards his friend's face. What Langa saw made his blood run straight to his head. Reki, hair a mess, hand still held out and smiling like he had the biggest rush of dopamine. What captivated Langa most, though, was Reki's eyes. Shining with an electric intensity, glowing like sunlight through stained glass. Suddenly, all those tears that had once disappeared came flooding back. Langa hadn't noticed these tears running until that shine from Reki's eyes had disappeared and was replaced with concern.</p><p>"Oh, oh no... Langa, what's wrong?" Reki asked, his voice spiked with worry. Without even thinking, Reki sat down, crossed his legs and pulled the end of his sleeve over his hand. Langa, still at a loss for words, sat down too, but suddenly went to show a slight smile. He went to shake his head slightly for a moment, his pastel blue hair falling and scultping his face.</p><p>"Nothing is wrong. In fact, every is too good" Langa shyly responded, scared of saying the wrong thing. </p><p>This took Reki about a little, but he then regained his train of thought and carried on with what he was going to do. The red haired boy brought his hand close to Langa's face and began to wipe the tears away. He despised seeing him cry.</p><p>"Everything is too good? How so?" Reki asked, his palm now softly pressed against Langa's cheek, and rubbing the tears away with his thumb. He wanted to be gentle. He had to be gentle. That is all he wanted to be in this moment.</p><p>"I... I don't know... It's just... You, I guess" Langa stumbled upon his words, keeping his voice slightly quiet. Reki took a breath to say something but he was cut off by Langa continuing from before.</p><p>"I trip and I fall and I get hurt... But you're there... And all of a sudden that does matter. And I don't know what to say. Or do. Or think... Ah, I've said too much..."</p><p>"No, no. If anything, you haven't said enough. I love hearing what you have to say, and your honesty is so, so important. I know this not the best of times for this, huh?" Reki reassured Langa, reverting from a shy wreck to comforted.</p><p>"I guess not..." Langa agreed, slowly leaning his cheek into Reki's hand, cupping the side of his face. No doubt Reki could feel Langa's face slowly becoming warmer with embarrassment.</p><p>"I know this is out of the blue, but I want you to know that I've got my mind made up now," Reki admitted.</p><p>"But I think I need more time."</p><p>"Time? Time for what?" Langa questioned, confused at what his friend was trying to communicate to him</p><p>"Do you know what I'm saying?"</p><p>"I think I need more time" Langa iterated, intensely blushing and trying to look away.</p><p>Reki slowly placed his other hand on Langa's other cheek.</p><p>"I feel like I'm holding the whole world. I can't let you go, as I don't want to break you" The redhead shyly admitted. Langa then placed his hand on top of Reki's, feeling each knuckle and indent in each finger. His hands were soft. And warm. And where he wanted his hands to stay forever. In Reki's.</p><p>"There's no possible way for you to break me. You aren't weak, I just know that, no matter what you do, you wouldn't be able to hurt me. I love you too much for you to do that".</p><p>Reki's eyes became wide open, running with that familiar electric glow Langa had come to love.</p><p>"And I love you too much for me to afford to do that, even accidentally". </p><p> </p><p>And in that instance, Langa could have sworn he saw sparks in Reki's irises and that, perhaps, he felt them too. </p><p> </p><p>"Your eyes... They're almost sparking like electricity. If you're electric, can I be electric too?" </p><p> </p><p>"Of course you can"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>SO, I realise 'She's Electric' doesn't have the best lyrical meaning in the world, but I just love the chorus so much that I wanted to write something including it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Just like the snow that won't completely melt away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snow finally settles in Okinawa and Reki and Langa decide exactly what to do on a day like this.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>3:00am. Reki had woken up slowly, his eyes blurred and unfocused. The white light of the moon crept through the window, leaving bright shapes across the floor. Reki turned his attention to his left as he sat up in his bed, the duvet falling from his shoulders down to his legs. To his left peacefully slept Langa, not making a sound, his breath flicking his pastel blue hair into the air every time it fell in front of his face. The reflection of the light against the floor made Langa's pale complexion shine, as if he were the moon itself. Calming, bright and radient. Reki gently laid back down, his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.<br/>'He looks so adorable when he sleeps,' Reki thought to himself. 'So peaceful and serene. I wonder what he dreams of...'. If only he knew...<br/><br/>Eventually, Reki laid upon his side, Langa's chest against his back. He was comfortable, warm, happy. Langa, briefly, began to stir after feeling the contact of his significant other against him. Consciously, he knew he was safe, and so this led to a slight smile as he slept further into the night. Langa's arms slowly snaked their way around Reki, holding him in a comfortable embrace as Reki had just begun to finally fade out of consciousness and succumb to sleep. Both slept better than they had in weeks that night.<br/><br/>9:30am. This time, it was Langa to wake first. His icy locks fell gracelessly in front of his eyes and face, forcing him to tuck it behind his ears. As uncomfortable as it was for Langa, Reki always liked it when he tucked his hair or tied it up.<br/><br/>"You look cute!" The redhead would regularly proclaim, feeling blessed to be with Langa.<br/>"I don't want it to be cute though..." Langa would respond, embarrassed to high heaven.<br/>"Too bad, when you have a face like that, you can't NOT BE cute!" Reki would laugh as he pet Langa's hair. He'd also comment on how soft Langa's hair always was. What could he say? He kept it clean.<br/><br/>After a couple of stretches, Langa made sure to be as careful as he could, so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping Reki who was at his side, until he had risen. He yawned a little as he made his way over to the window to get a look at the day's weather. What came was something Langa did NOT expect. His eyes gleamed with the purity of the outdoors and he let out a slight gasp of excitement.<br/><br/>"REKI!! Reki Reki Reki Reki Reki Reki LOOK!!" Langa repeated excitedly as he gently shook the boy awake. He did not want to overwhelm the sleeping redhead, hence the gentle nature of the shaking.<br/>"Hmm?" Reki stirred as Langa continually pressed on.<br/>"Ah! You're awake, good morning!" Langa told him politely, followed by a peck on the forehead.<br/>"So, what is it that you want to show me?" Reki wondered, rubbing his eyes and yawning, still trying to figure out what is happening.<br/>"Come! Look! Look!" Langa gestured to the window of Reki's bedroom, excited to see Reki's reaction.<br/>"Ok, alright, I'm coming" Reki gently laughed and he pulled himself out of bed, making his way towards Langa, staring in awe out of the window.<br/>Just as quickly as it impacted Langa, Reki's face was hit with the rush of the cold air and his eyes sparkled as they saw the pristine white of the outdoors.<br/>"OH, WHOA! IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT!!" Reki exclaimed, just as excitedly as Langa had done before.<br/>"WE NEED TO GET OUT THERE!! IT BARELY EVER SNOWS HERE, THIS IS AWESOME!" Reki raced to get ready, leaving Langa still stood at the window, admiring just how pretty everything looked coated in a layer of sparkling white.<br/><br/>"You must be used to this, right?" Reki jokingly asked Langa as he began to tie the laces of his snow boots that he only used a couple of times a year.<br/>"I will admit, I have missed the cold" Langa confessed, pulling on his gloves.<br/>"I get you, I get you. We rarely get any snow around here, so this is super cool!" Reki claimed excitedly, tying his laces, finally, into neat bows and tightening them down.<br/><br/>"I bet that, back in Canada, the snow used to get, like, ten feet tall!" Reki carried on, as he joked and commented about what Canada would be like.<br/>"I mean, sometimes, but not regularly, no, however it can get super deep in the mountains, so you've gotta be really careful" Langa explained as he zipped up his jacket and pushed down his hood.<br/>"Damn, that's so much snow... This must be nothing for you!" Reki laughed, ready to leave.<br/>"It is quite shallow, but snow is snow, and I'm so pleased about it!" Langa admitted, also ready to leave until a thought had crossed his mind.<br/>"Oh, Reki?"<br/>"Yeah, everything okay?"<br/>"All good. I was just wondering, as you can't skate in the snow, and I don't have my snowboard with me, how are we going to get around?" Langa asked, genuinely curious as he doubted Reki would want to walk in the cold so much.<br/>"Trust me on this one"<br/><br/>"Whoooaaa the pavement is WAY TO ROCKY FOR THIS" Langa exclaimed as he and Reki rocketed down the path on a wooden sledge, his arms gripped tightly around Reki's torso, not wanting to let go for a second.<br/>"No need to tense up! We're perfectly safe!" Reki comforted the slightly frightened boy, enjoying both the journey and the fact Langa had worked his arms around him in a strong embrace.<br/>"Reki, mind the tuRNING!!" Langa shouted just seconds before they almost very nearly crashed into the cobbled stone wall in front of them. Snow went spraying up from the sides as they skidded around the corner, some of the flakes flicking up into their faces, lacing their lashes and cheeks with white speckles.<br/><br/>This successful turning had only lasted so long until...<br/>"Reki doesn't this feel a little unsaf-"<br/>Reki became overambitious and leaned a little to far in, causing the two to fall off of the sledge and into the pristine snow below them.<br/>"I said it felt unsafe!" Langa proclaimed as Reki wouldn't stop laughing.<br/>"Yeah, but it was fun, wasn't it?" Reki carried on laughing, his smiling face as bright as the snow itself.<br/>"I will admit, it was fun..." Langa admitted in a tone that made Reki concerned.<br/>"Hey, that's not right... What's got you down?" Reki asked, worried for his friend.<br/>"It just... Reminds me of Canada back when I was a kid..."<br/>"Makes you think of-"<br/>"My dad? Yeah. Before I learned to snowboard, we'd always do things like this together. It's... nice thinking back on it but it still... it still hurts, y'know?"<br/>Reki placed his gloved hand upon Langa's face, looking directly into his cerulian eyes.<br/>"Look at me ok? Just keep looking at me. It's alright. It hurts now and it'll most likely hurt in the future, and that's okay. Try not to dwell on the past, alright? Let's make some new memories now, how does that sound to you?" Reki spoke to the frozen boy, his voice flooding with sympathy and sincerity. A couple seconds of silence passed as Reki let Langa take everything had said in.<br/>"That... Sounds really good, actually." Langa confessed, brushing the snow away from his face.<br/>"Right! So, what do you want to do next then?"<br/><br/>About three or so hours had passed and Reki and Langa had done nearly everything that could be done during a snow day. Angels, snowball fights, building snowmen, very recklessly standing on top of a frozen lake and, somehow, not falling in and Langa told Reki about Maple Toffee from back in Canada, which the redhead couldn't believe.<br/>"So you guys boil syrup and put it in the snow??" He asked, bewildered.<br/>"Kinda, you boil the sap instead, although some do choose to use syrup, but it is a delicate process, as boiling it too long makes it Maple Butter, and you don't want that!" Langa taught the clueless boy.<br/>"Snow... Butter... Syrup? Is it any good?" Reki kept asking questions, wanting to know.<br/>"Uh, I've only made it a couple of times, but yeah, it is pretty good!"<br/>"Is there enough snow here to do it?"<br/>"And you find ME odd for asking so many questions," Langa laughed at Reki's intrigue "and no, the snow seems a bit too thin here, I'm afraid".<br/><br/>The brittle crisp of footsteps could be heard as the snow compressed beneath the two boys' feet as Reki led Langa back home, sledge in one hand. After a way's walk, they returned home in one piece. Their clothes damp, noses red and fingers numb, both boys sat by the stone porch of the house, just perched on the edge of the doorway, as to avoid sitting in more snow. They fumbled with their laces as they tried to remove their frozen shoes from their feet and, when they proved success, beat the shoes together as to not get any snow inside of the house.<br/>"You really must be cold... Wait, you haven't gotten to use the kotatsu yet! Lemme show you!" Reki grabbed Langa by the hand and helped him up and indoors.<br/><br/>After a strenuous half an hour of taking all outside wear off with still numb hands, Reki made his way into his bedroom, looked around a little and began to throw clothes at Langa, who was never far behind or away from him. After his search was deemed successful by himself, Reki hunted for a towel and, too, threw that at Langa.<br/>"I can tell you are cold. Dry yourself off and wear these" Reki offered, not wanting Langa to fall ill.<br/>"I don't ne- you know what? Thank you. I appreciate it" Langa thanked Reki, holding his hand against the back of his own neck.<br/>"No need to thank me! The last thing I'd want is for you to get sick... I'll let you get changed." Reki said as he turned to leave the bedroom, abour to leave Langa to his own devices.<br/>"Seriously. Thank you. It's been a while since I've been able to have such a good time like that. I just wante-"<br/>Langa was suddenly cut off my the rushed impact of Reki almost tackling him with a hug.<br/>"Like I said, no need to thank me. I'm just happy you are happy, y'know? You deserve it" Reki admitted as he clung tightly to Langa's chest, not wanting to let go.<br/><br/>After letting the initial shock settle in, Langa's then rigid arms embraced Reki. They stood for a while, their body warmth slowly but surely keeping eachother warm. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, it was actually quite enjoyable. Damp fabric against fabric, Reki's head burrowed into the side of Langa's neck, a shared warmth between two.<br/>"You really should get changed" Reki suggested, still holding on comfortably to Langa.<br/>"But this is nice..." The taller boy responded, even though he wanted to stay like that forever.<br/>"Ok, compromise. I let you get changed here, I go get changed in the bathroom, you get comfortable and I make drinks and sort the kotatsu. Sound good?" Reki offered, trying to justify his compromise.<br/>"I guess that does sound pretty good..." Langa replied, his tone of voice proving the smile on his face.<br/>"It's set then!" Reki announced and swiftly pulled his head and body away from Langa, but still keeping his hands on the other boy's shoulders. The redhead then let go of Langa's shoulders, turned with a smile and left the room with a gentle wave.<br/><br/>Apprehensive, Langa stood alone in the centre of the bedroom. Thinking back to the hours before gave him a slight blush to his face and a laugh trapped in his throat.<br/>'How do I even know these are going to fit?' Langa thought to himself as he laid the clothes down on the floor and began to remove his own. Minutes later and the boy was fully dressed in his partner's ensemble. It felt comfortable, warm and homely, albeit surprisingly fitting.<br/>'He must be so comfortable all the time...' Langa continued to consider as he picked up his clothes and balled them up in his arms.<br/>'They're so soft... They slightly smell like him too...' The icy-haired boy kept thinking, the concept of wearing Reki's clothes made him flush a deep pink. Carrying his clothes in his arms, Langa left the room in search of Reki.<br/><br/>"Rekiiii, where have you gone? What should I do with my-" Langa had walked around the house, calling out for Reki until he was cut off by bumping into something in the hallway. Or someone.<br/>"Clothes..." Langa continued as everything he carried swiftly fell to the floor.<br/>"Heyyy, what took you so long, huh?" Reki joked as he appeared in front of the clueless boy. He playfully tapped Langa on the shoulder and bent down to pick up what had been dropped.<br/>"Is everything comfortable? Sorry if it is a bit small" Reki apologised as he scooped up the clothes from the floor.<br/>"Yeah, everything is great!" Langa admitted, trying to keep his embarrassment down and subsequently failing miserably as his face, once again, flooded with a sudden warmth.<br/>"I- uh... Anyway, do you want me to take those from you?" Langa continued, trying to bypass his feelings and get back to his normal, calm and collected state.<br/>"No, no, it's fine! I'll go put them in to wash" Reki said, still holding onto Langa's clothes.<br/>"And are you sure you are alright? You've gone all red. Are you too warm? Want me to find something thinner?" The redhead offered, oblivious.<br/>'How can't he tell it isn't that?!' Langa wondered, stunned at how heedless Reki was.<br/>"N-no, it's fine! Really! Don't worry about it!" The nervous wreck of a boy rushed his words, not wanting Reki to see just how nervous he was.<br/>"Well, if you say so. Stay there and I'll be back in just a moment!" Reki laughed, once again, and disappeared further down the hallway.<br/>'Am I over thinking or is he that oblivious?!'<br/><br/>The bubbling of the boiling water coming from the kettle had soon disturbed the silence of the house as Reki had tucked Langa's old clothes away and made the effort to boil some water in order to make hot chocolate for the pair.<br/>'Good thing those three are outside... I'd never hear the end of it!' Reki thought to himself, wondering just how different it might have been if his siblings weren't still outside in the snow. The soft click of the kettle interrupted his thoughts as the water began to finish boiling. Wandering aimlessly around the kitchen, Reki finally had something to do. He rooted his way around the various cupboards filled with crockery to find suitable cups for the hot beverages. Pulling two plain white mugs from the back of the cabinet, Reki made his way back over to the kettle to fill said mugs with hot chocolate and water.<br/>'I really hope he likes this...' Reki wondered as he stirred each drink, staring into space. A minute or so had passed and Reki made his way back out into the hallway, hands filled with hot drinks, only to find Langa stood exactly where he had left him. This caught him off guard.<br/>"You're still standing there?!" Reki asked in surprise, seeing the blue-haired boy stood completely statue like.<br/>"You did say 'stay there' earlier" Langa responded, slowly moving towards the redhead.<br/>"Sure, but you didn't have to take it so literally!" Reki laughed, wanting to pat Langa on the head and if it weren't for the drinks he had made for the two of them, he would have.<br/>"Come with me, now." He carried on while walking his way into the living room, with Langa not far behind.<br/><br/>Reki set the drinks down atop the kotatsu and wormed his way under the futon to switch it on.<br/>"How come you're crawling under the table?" Langa questioned, confused.<br/>"You'll soon see!" Reki responded, followed by a dull click and a faint hum. He then crawled his way out from under the table and sat up, his legs still underneath the futon.<br/>"Hey, come sit!" Reki offered and tapped the floor ever so slightly next to him, indicating he wanted Langa to sit next to him.<br/>"Ok-AY THEN THAT'S WARM WHOA" Langa exclaimed as he sat down and, too, shuffled his legs beneath the futon. Surprise laced his tone as the last thing he expected was for the table to be... warm?<br/>"This is a kotatsu. We use this in the winter when it gets cold!" Reki then taught Langa, almost in a way for repaying him for the 'lessons' about Canada that Langa gave him.<br/>"I see..."<br/>"There is a heater attached to the base of the table and the futon keeps the warm air in!" Reki continued, feeling very proud of himself for teaching Langa something not skateboard related.<br/>"This really is quite comfortable" Langa admitted as he began to relax and get used to the warmth of the heater. Reki reached over to get their drinks, handing Langa his in the meantime.<br/><br/>The atmosphere was one of comfort and warmth. Reki and Langa sat for hours, talking about anything and everything, enjoying their drinks and each other's company. Suffice to say Reki may have shuffled over to Langa's side after a while. They sat together, legs next to each other's and Reki's head against Langas shoulder. For a day of frigid temperatures, it all stayed awfully warm. Just like the snow that won't completely melt away, Langa sat by Reki, the snow to his sun, the ice to his warmth. Yet they had equilibrium. They had balance. They had eachother. And that is all that they needed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry this took so long!! College work and my job very much got in the way, alongside getting distracted and writer's block on many occasions.</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope you all like this one! It was really fun to write and complete!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Dreamin' Chu Chu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Why did it have to be Valentine's Day tomorrow?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>February 13th. Not a special day necessarily. Sure, Langa's birthday had been a couple days beforehand, but that was the 8th, not the 13th. The time was 3:45pm, as Reki decided to rush home after school that day. Langa did not think much of it, as he was convinced the boy either needed to finish homework or a custom board. Turns out it was neither. The general hubbub around the school constantly reminded him that the day after that one was February 14th. Valentine's Day. He didn't know if people could tell, but every time the day was mentioned, Reki felt himself suddenly glow with a certain warmth as he felt both joyful and embarrassed by the idea of gifting something to someone he truly loved. <br/><br/>The nervous boy laid awake atop his bed, his mind racing as to what he could do. The golden light of the slowly sinking sun burst through his window and reflected into his eyes, making them glow like amber. The warmth reminded him. Reminded him of someone. Of a friend. Of someone he cherished. Of Langa. The thought of him made Reki ball himself up atop his duvet. He felt embarrassed.<br/>'I look like a blushing schoolgirl, don't I?' He thought to himself, flipping over onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow.<br/>'This is so embarrassing! Why do I feel like this?! Why does HE make me feel like this?!' These questions kept circling Reki's head like vultures, nipping at his conscience. This soon began to bug him, so he decided to do something about it. <br/><br/>Reki sat up straight, a clear idea in mind as to what he wanted to do. He rooted around his room, looking for a beanie and a mask. The community in his area was pretty close knit, so Reki didn't want anyone to recognise him while he was out.<br/>"Haha, I'm going out. I'll be home in a bit" Reki called out to his mother as he pulled on his trainers.<br/>"Alright, sweetie. Stay safe out there!" His mother called back to him.<br/>"Where you going, big bro?" Nanaka asked, pulling at the leg of Reki's trousers.<br/>"Just out and about. Don't worry, you just stay here" Reki responded to his sister's query, patting her gently on the head.<br/>"Okaaay have fun" Nanaka said as she waddled her way down the hallway.<br/>Reki then pulled his bag over his shoulders and made his way outside. With a beanie over his vibrant red hair and a mask pulled over his nose, Reki started his way down the pavement, constantly hoping not to be recognised. <br/><br/>Realising that using his skateboard would have made him stand out too much, Reki walked his way towards the centre of the town. The more he progressed the more he thought of slight downfalls within his plan. <br/>'He's not going to notice. All the girls in class like him too. Mine won't mean anything. It'll be one amongst many. What if he doesn't like it? What if he does like me?'. This spiral began to deepen further and further until he reached a certain point. He'd just passed Dope Sketch and that immediately reminded him of every moment both he and Langa had shared together. Class, S, skating in general. It all came back to him and soon Reki realised<br/>'I don't know what I'm thinking about. He'll love this!' <br/><br/>Memories replayed one by one as Reki sought out each item he needed. The sterile white of the linoleum floor contrasting the replays of S in his mind. As Langa soared over Shadow's explosives in Reki's head, a fluttering sensation swelled within his stomach and heart. He knew then and there that what he was doing was right. Arms filled with ingredients, Reki made his way to the counter at the front of the store.<br/>'Milk powder, cocoa powder, sugar, butter... and a box! I think I have everything' Reki listed in his head as he placed each item atop the counter. The cashier put each item through silently.<br/>"Oh, uh, and a bag, please?" Reki asked politely as the cashier nearly finished with the scanning of Reki's ingredients.<br/>Soon enough, everything Reki required had been put through and into a bag, alongside this, a total had been rung up for him.<br/>"That'll be ¥995, please" The cashier requested politely. Reki pulled his wallet out of his bag and placed the money atop the tray at the counter. The cashier then took this tray away to check if any change was required. Luckily, Reki had exactly what he needed, therefore he needn't stay out for too long. The tray was placed back to where it had been and the cashier thanked Reki for his patronage. The boy picked up the bag containing his ingredients and made his way home.<br/>'I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna make him his own chocolates!' <br/><br/>The sun still spread a golden wash over the environment as Reki made his way back home. He formulated a plan to get everything done and to keep his siblings out of it too, although the latter part required more thought and consideration. Just for good measure, Reki pulled up a recipe on his phone to make sure he had everything. He did, in fact, have everything he needed. After a couple minutes more of walking, Reki removed his hat and mask as he turned into the gates of his house.<br/>"I'm home." Reki called out as he set down his bags and pulled his shoes of.<br/>"Welcome back, Reki, dear" His mother called back to him.<br/>"Big brother Reki! You're back!" Nanaka shouted as she ran down the corridor to meet her brother.<br/>"Whatcha get? Whatcha get??" She asked excitedly, pulling on the plastic bag.<br/>"Nothing exciting that's for sure. Hey! Be careful with those" Reki reached out to stop his sister from looking through his stuff, but it was too late.<br/>"Oooooh, Reki's making CHOCOLATES!" Nanaka yelled from the top of her lungs, running all excited to tell her siblings.<br/>"Reki, is that true?" His mother asked, wondering if Nanaka was telling the truth. Reki picked up the bag filled with ingredients and made his way into the kitchen. He placed the bag back down atop the kitchen counter and turned his head around the doorway into the living room.<br/>"Uhh... Would you be mad if I said yes?" Reki questioned, placing his hand against his neck in embarrassment.<br/>"No, no! Not at all! I just wish you told me sooner! Tell me who the lucky one is when you finish!" Reki's mother laughed, watching her son slowly turn a pale shade of red.<br/>"Okay, Haha. Just keep Nanaka and the others away, ok?" Reki asked from the kitchen, taking each ingredient out of the bag and placing them out on the table in front of him. <br/><br/>About five minutes in and Reki had added the water and sugar he needed into the pan. It bubbled and sizzled and crackled as it began to make a clear caramel. It threatened to spit at Reki on multiple occasions, but the redheaded boy wouldn't be burned that day!<br/>"Okay, what's next...? The butter?" Reki whispered to himself as he let his sugar mixture boil away. He pulled out his phone to check the recipe.<br/>"Okay, melt the butter into the sug-AAHH! NANAKA" Reki shouted as he felt a tingling sensation from his sides. Reki's younger sister continued to giggle to herself as she tickled her big brother's sides.<br/>"Big brother is in looooove" The younger sister drew out the note for as long as she could before Reki had to stop her.<br/>"Shhhh, okay? I'm trying to focus here, so please don't distract me! And I'm not in-" Reki was cut off once again by the sibling.<br/>"Reki's gonna get a giiiirlfriieeend" Nanaka teased as she ran around the kitchen.<br/>"I'm not gonna get a girlfriend" Reki sighed as he sifted the milk and cocoa powder into a seperate bowl, a thin puff of powder veiled the sunlight coming from the window.<br/>"Oooooh, yes you aaaaare" She continued to laugh and tease as Reki gently poured the melted butter and sugar into the mixed powder.<br/>"I'm not, Nanaka, now please stop running around" Reki said bluntly, mixing the powder in vigorously with a whisk.<br/>"Nanaka, leave your big brother alone please" Their mother called out, getting up from her chair to supervise her son.<br/>"Aww, okay" The younger sister complained as she waddled her way out of the kitchen. <br/><br/>"So, son, who's the lucky one then?" Reki's mother asked as she watched him transfer his combined chocolate mixture into a seperate bowl.<br/>"I- You... It's... Uhm-" Reki fumbled his words as he returned back to the energetic whisking of the mix.<br/>"Don't tell me if you don't want me to kn-"<br/>Reki took a deep breath through gritted teeth and confessed out loud.<br/>"They're for Langa! Yeah... They are for him..." He set the bowl and whisk onto the countertop, bracing for the worst.<br/>"Oh, that boy with the blue hair, right?" His mother asked, wanting to know just who her son may end up with.<br/>"Yeah, that's him..." Reki nodded and shuffled his feet slightly, nervous as what his mother might just say to it.<br/>"He's been here before, he's lovely! I can see why you like him so much!" She smiled as she made her way over to her son.<br/>"So... You don't... You're not...?" Reki, once again, stumbled on his own words, his throat stuck with potential tears instead of words.<br/>"Not at all! Like you say, he is your happiness, right?" She replied, ruffling Reki's already messy hair.<br/>"He... He really is, ma. I thought skating was my happiness but skating with him was entirely different. A different experience. A different feeling..." Reki finally freed that blocking from his throat and spoke every word he had repressed.<br/>"Don't worry about it, Reki. Whatever you do, he will be happy. I assure you." Reki's mum reassured him as she gave him a hug before she left the kitchen.<br/>"Oh, and don't forget about your chocolate! It'll set in the bowl if you leave it there" She laughed as she made her way out of the doorway, waving to Reki. This made Reki come back to reality and immediately turn back to whisking the chocolate mixture before it solidified. <br/><br/>Spread and cut out using, what Reki thought to be, the world's smallest cookie cutters, the chocolates had been made, shaped and left to set in the refrigerator. All Reki had to do now was package them and wait.<br/>"Wait... All I have to do is wait..." Reki kept telling himself as the seconds felt like hours. The sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, the last of it's golden glow grazed the meeting between sky and ocean. Reki finally took his chocolates out of setting and carefully set them upon the counter. He very clumsily constructed the box he had bought alongside the ingredients he had 'masterfully' made into sweets, the shiny red exterior reflected the last of the sun's light as it sank beneath the horizon. The redhead carefully positioned each chocolate inside the box so that they wouldn't melt in his warm hands. He then placed the box back in the fridge to make sure they wouldn't melt by morning. So that he wouldn't get told off, Reki then began to run the hot water tap to wash everything he had used. He didn't want to ruin the utensils after all. <br/><br/>With everything washed, dried and dutifully put away, Reki took himself to his bedroom. He had worn himself down, what with all the sweets making and thinking about the following day and how it'll play out. Laid upon his back atop his bed, Reki stared at his ceiling, wide eyed and in wonder.<br/>'What'll tomorrow be like?' He questioned to himself.<br/>'Oh, why can't it happen sooner? The suspense is killing me!'. The red haired boy began to fantasise a scenario. A fantasy of the next day going perfectly. The way he wanted it to go. Where he is brave. Where he gets the girl. Well, boy. Reki then shot up, for the second time that day, and raced over to his desk. Fishing out a piece of paper and a pen, he began to write out a letter. He planned out each word in his head.<br/>'To- no. Dear- no. Dearest? Hell no! Why is it so hard to write letters?!' <br/><br/>Minutes passed and pen had not touched paper.<br/>'Ugh, it sounds corny, but I'll start with Dear... Dear Langa, I- uhm...'<br/>Words failed the boy as he began to write.</p><p>'I... I hope you understand just how I feel and that you matter so so deeply to me. I want you to know that. To me, in a ocean of stars, you shine the brighest. In a world of black and white, you bring colour. In this world, you complete my life. Hopefully I complete yours too. Please meet me at lunch on the roof. I have something to give to you.'</p><p>Reki took a big breath in, set his pen down and breathed back out again.<br/>'Was letter writing always this stressful?!' He thought to himself as he folded a second piece of paper into an envelope. He folded the letter and slid it inside of the hand-made envelope. And with the letter and chocolates done, Reki took himself to bed.<br/>'I hope tomorrow goes as planned...' He thought as his eyelids became heavy. Soon enough, he had fallen asleep, dreaming of his best case scenario. He needn't worry about S for tonight. <br/><br/>Reki was startled awake by the violent ringing of his alarm. 7:30am. Enough time to get ready, get to school and set everything in place. Reki got changed, as he had slept in his clothes from the night before, and headed into the kitchen.<br/>"Morning, big bro!" Nanaka smiled as Reki began to make himself some toast.<br/>"Morning, Nanaka. Did you sleep well?" Reki asked his little sister as his bread began to cook.<br/>"I did! I did! I'm excited to meet your girlfriend, big brother!" She exclaimed with, what Reki thought to be, way too much energy for a Wednesday morning.<br/>"I'm not getting a girlfriend, Nanaka! I told you already!" He shouted as he left the room to pack his bag.<br/>"Yes you aaaare! You made chocolates!" Reki's little sister shouted back at him. He didn't feel like arguing, so he placed the letter and his school pencil case in his back and made his way back to the kitchen.<br/>"You'll see soon enough" He stared down Nanaka at he took his chocolates out of the fridge and, too, placed them in his bag. His sister pulled a face, so Reki pulled one back, took his toast and left the room.<br/>'8:00. Perfect' He thought to himself as he left the house. <br/><br/>The rumbling of skateboard wheels ripped through the morning silence as Reki rolled his way down to his school. He knew he needed to get there early in order to get there before everyone else. Soon enough, he pulled up in front of the school gates and walked into the locker room. Reki looked around precautiously, making sure he wouldn't be seen. The coast was clear. He slipped the envelope out of his bag and through the grates of Langa's locker.</p><p>'Phew. No one saw me!' He breathed a sigh of relief. That was until...<br/>"Hey Reki! That's Langa's locker!" A girl's voice has called out from a distance away.<br/>'Ok, fake it. Pretend. Go. Go. Go.'<br/>"Oh, haha! So it is... Oops... I don't know his code, so I guess I'll have to wait until he gets here..." Reki panicked and laughed nervously, hoping he wouldn't be sussed out.<br/>"Hopefully he gets here soon then!" The mysterious female voice said as she walked away. Reki breathed a sigh of relief and walked himself up to his formroom. <br/><br/>"And x is equal to... 27!" The teacher exclaimed from the front of the classroom. Reki, bored out of his mind, kept a constant eye on the clock as the second hand ticked past.<br/>"Well done, class! Remember, we have homework set for next Monday, so don't put it off" The teacher announced as the bell rang throughout the building. The scraping of chairs against the hardwood floor, packing of pencil cases and rusting of clothes filled the room as students made their way out.<br/>'Oh, God, I hope he read my letter' Reki thought nervously as he swallowed his words.<br/>"Hey Reki-" Langa started to say.<br/>"Hi!" Reki responded to his friend calling his name in a very jumpy manner.<br/>"I, uhm, I've never really done this before... Someone has asked me to meet them. On the roof. In a letter. What do I do?" The icy haired boy asked his friend nervously.<br/>'HE'S SEEN IT!' Reki celebrated in his head.<br/>"Well, you've been getting gifts and chocolates all day today, perhaps someone wants to meet you in private to give you theirs?" Reki said, trying to reassure his friend.<br/>"Oh... Right... Will you come with me? I know it might be a bit awkward for the other person, but this is new to me..." Langa asked, scared for his outcome.<br/>"Sure! I'll come with you!" Reki responded, cheering inside. He hadn't received anything all day, so, even though it was his confession, he had nothing else to do anyway.<br/>"Thank you. I appreciate it" <br/><br/>The two made their way up the steps and onto the roof of the school. Surprisingly enough, the environment was vast. Empty. Silent.<br/>"Perhaps if we walk out more?" Reki suggested, clutching his box in his hand behind his back.<br/>"That makes sense." Langa responded. The two took a couple more steps forwards, but still no one in sight.<br/>"That's odd... Maybe it was a joke..." Langa said, looking around his surroundings.<br/>"I say we should head ba...ck..." The blue boy began to suggest until he turned around to see Reki behind him, his hand outstretched, presenting his box. The redhead felt so embarrassed that he had to look away as he held his gift out.<br/>"Wait a minute... Was the letter...?"<br/>Reki nodded at Langa's question, unable to form words.<br/>"It was yours..." Langa came to the realisation that it had belonged to the blushing boy before him.<br/>"I, uh... I hope you don't mind" Was the only sentence Reki could formulate. Langa graciously took the box from Reki's hand and began to open it up.<br/>"And... You made these?" Langa asked as he looked down at the sweets Reki had made.<br/>"Yeah... I stayed up last night making them... I really hope you-" Reki was suddenly cut of by Langa pushing himself against him, arms wrapped around his torso in an embrace, his mouth crashed against those of the boy he loved. This took Reki by surprise, as he let out a small, shocked squeak of a noise, but soon let Langa's actions take course. They soon parted, both boys a blushing mess. Their arms still clinging to each other.<br/>"Thank you" Langa whispered into Reki's ear, the sound shooting a shiver up Reki's spine.<br/>"You're welcome..." Reki whispered back and leaned into the hug. <br/><br/>And all at once, Reki's nerves melted away as Langa's warmth comforted him. It didn't matter what happened next, to Reki, he was in this moment and wished he could be there forever.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hiya! Sorry this one took so long, it's been in the works for nearly a week now!</p><p>Yes, the title is a reference to the Luka song haha. Just thought it was sweet!</p><p>I hope you all enjoy this one! I'll be uploading weekly from here on out!</p><p>Sidenote: The use of 'Haha' between Reki and is mother is a Japanese term of addressing your mother, so I thought I'd use it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Our Hearts Beat Calmly At Last...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>!! SPOILERS FOR EPISODE FIVE - PASSIONATE DANCING NIGHT !!</p>
<p>Reki is tormented by his nightmares and needed to let off some steam...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reki laid upon his back, staring blankly out of his window. The same nightmare replayed over and over again in his head. His fall, the way his body flew through the air, his hand grazing blood against Adam's cheek. Each time it replayed, he saw Langa instead of himself. It pained his soul. Truly. The contact of his head against the ground of Crazy Rock became a warped memory of the one he loved. In his mind, Langa's ice blue hair flew above his eyes as the side of his head slammed against the ground. It terrified him, to think that what happened to him could happen to Langa. A bloodied head and a broken arm. The concept brought his mind to a deeper, darker moment. His eyes began to well up with tears, blinding the redhaired boy ever so slightly. These tears ran down the side of his face as he slowly succumbed to his feelings. The boy balled himself up atop his duvet and cried. Wholeheartedly and uninterrupted. After a couple minutes, Reki uncurled himself and sat up. He wiped the rest of the remaining tears away on the sleeve of his hoodie, his eyes remaining stinging and sore. Not even a second later, he felt a faint buzz from within the pocket of his hoodie. He was hesitant at first, not wanting any interaction of any kind. Especially not in the headspace he was in. He eventually caved in and pulled his phone from his pocket and opened up the lock screen.</p>
<p>'1 Notification from: Langa &lt;3'</p>
<p>Reki sighed, not wanting to leave Langa on read, but also not wanting to completely spill every thought and feeling he has towards the boy. Hesitantly, he opened the message, to be greeted by the words on the screen:</p>
<p>'Langa &lt;3: Hi Reki. Are you still up for me to come over?'</p>
<p>'Ah, shit...' Reki thought to himself. 'I forgot he was supposed to come over... What do I do?'. The boy began to panic. He wanted to see Langa so, so, so badly and just hold him until the sun went down and came back up. But then again, he didn't want him so see him so upset... He opened the message up and his thumbs hovered over his keyboard.</p>
<p>'What the HELL do I tell him?' Reki questioned as his eyes, once again, filled with tears. He feared bringing Langa down with him, but he just wanted to be honest. Without thinking, he began to type. </p>
<p>'You: Don't come round tonight...'</p>
<p>From Langa &lt;3: Reki, are you alright?' </p>
<p>All he wanted to be was honest at this point. </p>
<p>'You: I don't want you to see me cry, cause my face is red and ugly...'</p>
<p>'From Langa &lt;3: I'm on my way. Don't say anything else.'</p>
<p>'You: I'm afraid that you won't love me...' </p>
<p>Reki laid back, once again, regretting every word he said.</p>
<p>'Fuck... I've only gone and made him worried...' He thought to himself, wanting to take back every sentence, but a small section of his conscience told him otherwise. </p>
<p>Minutes had passed and the humming of a motorcycle engine could be heard from outside. The humming soon cut out and the rushed taps of footsteps against solid ground came closer and closer to the house. A rapid knocking on the door cut through the then silent household.</p>
<p>"Ah, Langa! What a lovely surprise! Is everything alright?" Reki's mother asked as she answered the door.</p>
<p>"Good evening, Ms Kyan. I've come to see Reki" Langa answered as Reki's mother let him in.</p>
<p>"Well, he's just in his room-"</p>
<p>"Thanks, ma'am" Langa cut her off as he ran towards Reki's bedroom.</p>
<p>"Well that was odd..." Reki's mother proclaimed as Langa sped off. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Langa quickly made his way towards where Reki kept himself, fearful and dreading Langa's arrival. He tried to compose himself, breathing deeply and sitting up, but the blocked feeling in his throat just wouldn't disappear. The light from the hallway shone a faded yellow through his doorframe, gently making his vibrant red hair shine with a certain ethereal glow, the tear tracks on his face like gold.</p>
<p>'I really don't want him to see me like this...' Reki stressed as he knew the inevitable would arrive. </p>
<p>That once uninterrupted shine from beyond Reki's four walls was soon partially blocked by a tall shadow cast across the floor, the silhouette of a boy standing, concerned, within the doorframe.</p>
<p>"Reki...?" The silhouette called from where they stood. Reki raised his head to meet the ever so distinguishable aqua eyes of a familiar face. It was not long before his own eyes flooded with a blur, the once distinct outline of the boy slowly becoming out of focus as an unconscious wave of tears began to stream.</p>
<p>"Oh, Reki..." Langa spoke compassionately as he made his way over to comfort the distraught boy, dropping the bag he had with him on his way over.</p>
<p>"I know you didn't want to see me, but with a response like that, I couldn't leave you like this... What happened?" Langa sympathised as he sat down next to Reki atop his bed.</p>
<p>Reki sat in silence, a head full of words his voice couldn't quite string together. He knew exactly what he wanted to say but no idea how to say it.</p>
<p>"It's alright, take your ti-" Langa was abruptly stopped by the sudden feeling of force that hit his chest. Reki began to bury his head within Langa's chest as he cried uncontrollably.</p>
<p>"I don't want you to die, he's gonna kill you, he's gonna be the death of you, you're gonna get hurt, please don't get hurt, I don't want you to hurt, you don't deserve to suffer by his hand, please just-" Reki inhaled deeply, wanting to scream from the deepest, darkest part of his lungs, but instead was only capable of letting out the most sorrowful whimper of a sound. Langa, meanwhile, sat in complete shock. He didn't quite know what to think and he certainly did not expect that kind of reaction. He brought his hand up and placed it gently atop Reki's head, and started to stroke his hair as he spoke.</p>
<p>"Oh, Reki, where did all this come from?"</p>
<p>All he heard in return was a muffled stuttering as a response. Finally, Reki raised his head from the place it once rested, forcing Langa to move his hand away. He glanced upwards, keeping his head hung low in, what felt like, shame. </p>
<p>"D'you remember that time in class?" Reki started, his voice already laced with an uncertain wavering.</p>
<p>"The time I woke up and screamed your name in front of everyone" He continued, not knowing how much more he could take before he broke once again.</p>
<p>"I... do remember, yes... Is that what this is about?" Langa spoke as he recalled.</p>
<p>"I... uh... It is, yeah... I never explained why I did that, did I?" Reki realised that, if he didn't explain it now, he never would.</p>
<p>"You didn't... I was too mad at you for your attitude towards me racing Adam..." Langa responded, discovering he may have made a mistake in the way he treated Reki back then.</p>
<p>"Well... I've been having this reoccurring nightmare..." Reki began to confess, fearing for Langa's response.</p>
<p>"That time I skated against Adam over if he would beef with you or not and lost... I keep seeing that time... When Adam pulled his move... And I went flying..."</p>
<p>"That must be so scary for you" Langa said as he pitied the boy.</p>
<p>"The thing is... I never see myself..." Reki continued, concerned for how it might just play out.</p>
<p>"Oh? How so?" Langa asked, confused.</p>
<p>"I never see myself... I see... You" Reki finally said as he rested his head in his hands, afraid and ashamed.</p>
<p>"I see you. Every time. I see you as you fly. As you fall. As your head-" Reki stopped, struggling for breath as his throat blocked up once again.</p>
<p>"And I hate it. I hate it so much. I'm so scared, Langa. I'm so fucking scared. I'm scared he's gonna go too far and get you hurt or even-" Reki's words finally faltered as he cracked up and let out a pained sob.</p>
<p>"I don't want you to die, I don't want you to die..." The redhead repeatedly whispered roughly under his breath as he struggled for air.</p>
<p>"Reki... Please, look at me" Langa quietly requested as he held Reki's hands gently in his own. It took the boy some time, but he built up his courage to look at Langa in the face. Reki raised his head from his hands, his hair falling in front of his bandages and a most sorrowful look in his eyes. Langa carefully placed one of his hands upon Reki's cheek, wiping away any tears that kept running with his thumb.</p>
<p>"Trust me when I say this. I am going to get hurt. That is all part of the process. However, no way in hell am I going to let him kill me. No matter how many times I will fall, trip, stumble, anything, he will not make it worse. He will not keep me down. I will always pick myself back up and push on, and you are my reason for that. Every time. Each and every time, I think 'Reki is waiting for me', 'This is for Reki', 'I can't afford to let him down'. So yes, I will hurt and he may hurt me, but by no means will it kill me or make me quit, okay?" Langa planned out every word as he spoke. He needed to be honest to Reki while also making sure he'd keep him comfortable and safe.</p>
<p>"But I... You- Don't-..." Reki stumbled on his words as he tried to think of a response.</p>
<p>"I'm not going anywhere okay?"</p>
<p>"Okay..." </p>
<p>After hearing what he wanted to hear, Langa placed his other hand upon Reki's face, cupping his likeness, ever so gently.</p>
<p>"I'm never going to leave you. I promise." Langa stated as he rested his forehead against Reki's. </p>
<p>The boys sat together in silence for what felt like an eternity, their heads resting against the other's and their breathing slow and calm. Langa hesitantly moved his head away from Reki's, only to then gently kiss the broken boy on his forehead. It was gentle. And caring. And compassionate. His soft, slightly chapped, lips lingered slightly against Reki's skin, his brilliant red hair contrasting the cold pastel of Langa's blue. For the moment, the whole world had gone still and nothing seemed to have moved. All that remained was the dim blue light from beyond the bedroom window as stars littered the sky that shone ever so faintly.</p>
<p>"Are you comfortable?" Langa whispered to Reki, keeping his mouth against his head.</p>
<p>"Very" Reki gently nodded back and embraced the boy in his arms. A shared warmth between them began to stir. If it could be seen, the most warm white light would shine from the two.</p>
<p>No longer than half an hour had passed and Reki became conscious of the time.</p>
<p>"It's getting late... Isn't your mum worried? Shouldn't you get home?" He asked quietly, his arms still wrapped around Langa's torso. A smile spread across the Canadian boy's face as he knew exactly what to say.</p>
<p>"I spoke with her before I left. I packed a bag just in case, so I can stay with you. That is, if you are comfortable with that..." Langa responded, hoping and praying Reki would give the answer he wanted to hear.</p>
<p>Reki remained sat in silence for a while, until, finally, a smile broke from his face as he spoke.</p>
<p>"What would I do without you?" He laughed ever so slightly.</p>
<p>"I'd love nothing more" He continued, any tension in his voice had soon dissipated.</p>
<p>Langa breathed a sigh of relief as he pet Reki's head ever so slightly.</p>
<p>"Let me go and get changed then." Langa declared, attempting to get up, but the boy around his waist would not let go.</p>
<p>"I'm comfy now..." </p>
<p>After much deliberation and discussion, Langa had finally been let up by Reki so that he could change into his nightwear. He made his way back from the bathroom to find Reki still sat atop his bed. Same position. Same energy. Just different clothes.</p>
<p>"You still comfy?" Langa asked jokingly as he made his way back over to Reki, sitting right next to the boy.</p>
<p>"Yeah, now that you're back" Reki admitted as he leaned his head slightly upon Langa's shoulder. They needn't do anything, like movies or games or anything of the like, as each other's company alone made the two as content as can be. Very subtly, Langa moved his hand over oh so slightly so that it gently grazed by Reki's. Picking up on this sign, Reki moved his hand too, as he respectfully interlinked their fingers as they sat. And all at once, the thoughts and nightmares that plagued Reki had become obsolete. He knew his happiness and that is all that mattered. </p>
<p>As the late of the night drew ever closer, the boys began to become weary and tired, with a rally of yawning starting between them.</p>
<p>"Reki, you seem tired... Do you want to sleep?" Langa offered, not wanting to keep him up and wear him down. </p>
<p>"No, no, I'm fiiiiine" Reki answered back softly, with a tone of lethargy.</p>
<p>"It's okay, you lay down, alright?" Langa puffed up the pillow a little to signify Reki laying his head down.</p>
<p>"Can you... Stay with me?" Reki asked as he rested his head upon his pillow, not wanting to let the boy go.</p>
<p>"Of course I will" Langa agreed as he laid down beside him. Reki then rolled over to his side and slowly moved his arms around the other boy, embracing him in a hug. Langa did not object to this. Quickly enough, Reki had dozed off into a peaceful sleep, free of harm and nightmares. Langa turned his head to the side to catch a glimpse of the sleeping boy.</p>
<p>'He really does look adorable when he sleeps' Langa thought to himself as he began to feel his eyelids continually becoming heavier. Just as he was about to fall, he whispered one last line.</p>
<p>"I love you."</p>
<p>And, with that, his eyes shut. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>What if we held hands</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>In our pyjama pants?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let our hearts beat calmly at last...</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hiya, guys!!</p>
<p>So, the weekly upload plan kinda fell through, huh... Ah, well, I'm happy to be back and writing anyway! I hope you guys like this one, as it is a little more sombre than normal... And yes, once again, I have included lyrics within my work! The song is 'Pyjama Pants' by Cavetown!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Places We Won't Walk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>An incident occurs to Langa while racing Adam in a beef and Reki makes sure to help him out.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Three months. It had been three months. 12 weeks since his crash. Langa can still remember it as clear as day.<br/><br/>The dimly lit roads of the S track passed by beneath his wheels, Adam only inches behind his board. His opponent continually gaining speed in a way no one could comprehend, with his cape flying dramatically as he moved. A sharp corner had appeared in front of the two unexpectedly, causing them to turn with such velocity and force. Adam, now side by side with Langa, reached for his waist in an attempt to keep him locked in position. Because Langa had faced this before, he considered something new instead. Just as Adam was about to place his hand upon Langa's hip, the boy tried the best he could to dodge the move. However, much to his disappointment, his manoeuvre had failed him, causing his board's wheels to catch on his opponent's, causing the boy to soar into the air, flying past Adam and directly into one of the rocks protruding from the ground below. Because of the nature of the fall, Langa's legs had buckled and he had fallen onto them with the most forceful impact. He felt the most excruciating pain shoot through his knees, down through his calves and into his feet. The adrenaline from the fall had rushed to his head, and all he wanted to do was to just scream without restraint. But no sound was made. His eyes had glazed over with the most jarring shine, tears collecting within his eyes instead of falling. He couldn't bear to let anyone see him cry. Especially not at S.<br/><br/>After watching it all unfold on screen, Cherry rushed over to the boy on his bike, Reki sat behind him. They sped past the spectators of the race, some cheering for Adam, some in awe at the aftermath. The sheer concept of people supporting what Adam after what he had done to Langa made Reki feel sick.<br/>"Is there any way we can make this go faster?" Reki asked Cherry, his voice drowned in a tone of concern.<br/>"I want to get to him just as much as you do, kid. Be patient. It isn't too much further ahead now" Cherry replied, keeping his eyes on the road, not wanting to cause any other casualties that night.<br/>"How can I be patient if Langa is in a state like that?!" Reki shouted, blinded by his hatred for Adam.<br/>"You can get off and run if you want." Cherry bitterly responded. This made Reki fall silent for a while.<br/>"Carla, calculate how much further please" The older man politely asked his bike, wanting to know just how longer it'll take.<br/>"2 Kilometers further" Carla's robotic voice responded as they both continued onwards.<br/>"He's taken it way too far this time...".<br/><br/>The wheels of Cherry's bike screeched to a halt as they pulled up to their destination. They both lept off of the vehicle and ran their way over to the boy, hunched over and tucked into himself. Adam stood beside him, looming over Langa like a tower. The most sadistic smile spread across the man's face as he saw the two approach, with Shadow, Joe and Miya skating down, not too far behind. Just seeing Adam smiling as Langa stayed upon the floor, in pain, only fueled Reki's internal anger.<br/>"Well, well... Isn't this lovely? We're all here togeth-" Adam started, his voice twinged with the same condescending tone as always.<br/>"YOU! YOU NEED TO SHUT. THE FUCK. UP. RIGHT NOW." Reki shouted with everything he had, ready to fully run at Adam with all of the force he could muster. Cherry placed a hand on his shoulder as a sign to say 'don't'.<br/>"Aren't you one for manners" Adam teased, still smiling, his tone sarcastic and cynical.<br/>Shadow, Joe and Miya had stopped up behind them, overseeing the conversation as it unfolded.<br/>"Manners aren't my biggest concern at the moment" Reki hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes staring daggers at the older man.<br/>"My, my... I guess I could say you are right... Now, what seems to be the issue, pipsqueak?" Adam kept his usual facade as he continued to push Reki's buttons.<br/>"Read the fucking room, you bastard! Look what you've done!!" Reki spat as he gestured towards Langa, shaking and struggling to maintain his composure.<br/>"Ah, yes... Poor little Langa," Adam teased as he nudged the pained boy with his foot. "If only he didn't try and-" The experienced skater was cut off by a swift punch to the cheek from Reki. Cherry had let go of his shoulder, and the boy took it as his chance to strike. Adam's mask went flying off of his face, thanks to the sheer force behind Reki's punch. The plastic piece fell to the floor with a dull clatter, causing Adam to raise a hand to the part of his face Reki had struck. Feeling proud of himself, Reki exhaled with a slight laugh. Without thinking, the boy stooped down and rolled Langa over, picking him up and holding him, albeit with some struggle, on his back.<br/>"Ah, fuck... Cherry, get the bike!!" Reki exclaimed, still keeping Langa securely on behind him.<br/>"On it." Cherry followed as he ran to his vehicle.<br/>"Joe, would you be able to take him for me?" Reki asked him, realising Joe is a lot stronger he is.<br/>"Got it, kiddo" Joe agreed, shifting his posture to help take the boy. Reki gently yet swiftly passed Langa's limp boy over to the chef, making sure not to treat him too rough. As Joe kept the boy against his back, he threaded the kid's legs through his arms. This caused Langa to intake a very sharp inhale, the same pain from before surged through his lower limbs. Directing his head away from Joe's, he let out the coldest scream, a scream that sounded like he had bottled it for centuries. This caused the whole party to flinch in fear. With the most perfect timing, Cherry rode down the side of the racing road and drifted round, making space for one behind him on the bike. Reki pointed his finger out to Joe, then shifted it to the space on the bike.<br/>"It'll be faster than skating. Go. He needs a hospital." Reki more or less demanded, laying his board upon the ground, ready to follow them.<br/>"I've never seen him this demanding..." Joe confessed to Cherry as he mounted upon the bike, shifting his grip from Langa's legs to his arms instead, after realising it caused him that level of pain.<br/>"Then again, he isn't wrong..." Cherry responded as he started the engine. "This is certainly illegal..." He carried on as he kicked away the stand.<br/>"Just get him safe! I'll be behind you!" Reki shouted after them as Cherry pushed off, leaving a cloud of dust as he sped off with Joe and Langa with him.<br/><br/>"You can't just stop these races forever, Reki! We will compete again and I will be the one to best him!" Adam laughed maniacally as he watched the three speed off, leaving Reki, Miya and Shadow behind. "I am the creator behind this all! There's no way you can't stop me for good!".<br/>"There might not be now, but we will damn well keep trying until there is one!" Reki screamed then, his expression filled with poison and tears. "You aren't unbeatable! You are no God!" He continued to shout, his throat beginning to scratch up and dry. "Just you watch! Just you watch, you self righteous bastard!!" Reki ran up to Adam and went to swing again, but was blocked by an expecting hand.<br/>"Or what, kid? What on EARTH can you do?! Do to best ME?!" Adam sneered as he got close to Reki's face, causing the boy to feel a rising feel of intimidation from deep within. He stood wide eyed and silenced for a while, remembering the past instances in which Adam had done this to him while skating, but that feeling soon subsided as he remembered Langa. Reki pulled his hand away swiftly and raised his knee up quickly into Adam's stomach, causing the man to double over slightly. Reki then brought his elbow down on the man's head with such a rage-fuelled force, it caused Adam to fall straight down, his chin making direct contact with the ground below.<br/>"We don't know yet, but you'll damn well know when it hits you!" Reki exclaimed as he kicked off of the ground on his board, pushing a little dirt into Adam's face. "Let's go!" Reki shouted out to Shadow and Miya who stood, in awe of the boy and his actions, for them to follow him. They all kicked off and sped away into the midnight air, leaving Adam behind on the floor to eat their dust.<br/><br/>"It shouldn't be too far now..." Reki shouted to the others as they made their way through the city streets, the lamp posts causing occasional shadows to glide their way across the pavement.<br/>"Do you think he'll be okay?" Miya questioned, following closely behind Reki and just slightly in front of Shadow.<br/>"Let's just hope so.. " Shadow admitted, now skating closer to Miya, making sure he way keeping safe too.<br/>"He'd better be or I SWEAR THAT BASTARD IS GONNA GET IT ONE DAY-" Reki ended up shouting into the night, his anger almost making him fall away from the board below him.<br/>"Kid, you've gotta be careful-" Shadow warned Reki as he wobbled slightly in front of the two.<br/>"I KNOW, SHADOW." Reki bitterly responded, not taking his eyes off of the road ahead for a second.<br/>"Damn, Adam really has fucked up this time" Miya whispered under his breath as they carried on past the late night walkers and dwellers.<br/><br/>Soon enough, the three had reached the sliding doors of hospital, the sterile white lights hurting their eyes. They walked inside and made their way inside. The receptionist working at the desk shot them an odd look but served them nonetheless.<br/>"Good evening. Welcome to Central Okinawa Hospital. Does anything seem to be the problem?" The receptionist asked the trio as they stood, waiting to hear about where Langa might just be.<br/>"Good evening. We're hoping a friend has been admitted recently?" Reki had asked in a very panicked tone.<br/>"Ah, right. Could we get a name?" The receptionist questioned the three, wondering what a neon green child, an anxious teenager and a death metal band member were doing at the hospital at one in the morning.<br/>"Uh... Langa Hasegawa..." Reki answered the question with a voice laced with melancholy.<br/>"Langa Hasegawa... Langa Hasegawa..." The receptionist repeated as she looked through recent files, Reki's heart sinking with each time she repeated the name.<br/>"Ah, yes! We referred him to get an immediate x-ray after being shown he couldn't walk-" The receptionist was cut off by Reki suddenly shouting out<br/>"HE CAN'T WALK?! WHERE IS HE NOW?!".<br/>"Oh, uh, the room he was referred to is on the third floor in room 375-" The receptionist informed the three, only for Reki to run off towards the closest elevator, beckoning the others to join him, all the while shouting<br/>"THANK YOU VERY MUCH" as he ran. Shadow and Miya bowed to the receptionist out of courtesy and soon left to join Reki.<br/><br/>The button for the third floor had been pressed and the elevator began to rumble into motion.<br/>"I wonder why she gave us an odd look earlier..." Shadow questioned, only for Reki and Miya to look at him with an expression that read 'really?'. Shadow then remembered what he looked like and pulled up his hood.<br/>"Ah, right... Fair enough..."<br/><br/>Eventually, the doors to the elevator had opened and Reki rushed his way out to read which direction went what numbered rooms.<br/>'375. 375... 375!!' He rushed his thoughts and turned immediately to his right, his feet sliding on the linoleum ground. He ran past doors and doors and members of staff in the hallway, keeping and eye out for each number on each side of the hallway.<br/>'372... 373... 374... 375!!' He counted in his head, skidding to a stop outside of the doorway. He looked through the window of the room, only to be met with a view he wished he didn't have to see.<br/><br/>Langa laid, in complete silence, atop the hospital bed. The lower halves of his legs had been completely surrounded by casting. Unable to bend his knees, his legs stayed held up by wire supports handing from the ceiling. Soon enough, Reki had burst through the door of the room, swiftly followed by Shadow and Miya.<br/>"Oh my GOD. LANGA!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!" Reki exclaimed as he made his way into the room, his focus being directly on Langa.<br/>"Why wouldn't I be alive, silly?" Langa half heartedly laughed, trying not to move too much.<br/>"I was scared Joe was gonna drop you or something!" Reki admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.<br/>"I am RIGHT HERE-" Joe announced from where he had been seated, next to Cherry, near the back corner of the room.<br/>"Ah, sorry dude... I was just in such a panic-" Reki began to ramble, confessing his worries as they travelled.<br/>"No, no. We made it here alright and in one piece, so have no fear about that." Cherry reassured the troubled boy from across the room.<br/>"I... uh... Don't wanna blunt but... What did they say?" Reki asked, wanting to know the exact condition Langa was in.<br/>"Are you sure you want to know?" Joe questioned Reki, making sure he was in the right frame of mind to receive that caliber of information.<br/>"I HAVE TO KNOW HOW HE IS!!" Reki confirmed, becoming tired of the constant worry.<br/>"Well... Langa do you want to say or would you rather we do it?"<br/><br/>"Well, after the scans, the doctors had confirmed that my calf bones had been broken and that I have... well..." Langa struggled to find the words, suddenly becoming overwhelmed by the reality of the situation he was in.<br/>"Well...?" Reki asked, scared for the outcome.<br/>"Do you want me to say for you, Langa?" Cherry offered, swiftly being followed by Langa solemnly nodding, all the while holding back tears.<br/>"Well, we have confirmation of Langa's calves being broken, alongside his knees being completely shattered. There has been some brief discussion about whether he may be able to skate, or even walk, again..." Cherry had informed the others, starting to feel the weight of the situation. Reki was left in a complete silent shock. He stood, his mouth slightly open, struggling to find the words or even breath.<br/>"So... You might not be able to...?" Reki forced himself to ask, now kneeling besides the bed, holding onto Langa's free hand.<br/>"No, but skating always has come with risks..." Langa commented, wanting to reassure Reki, but he didn't quite know how.<br/>"I know, I know, but this is why we have protection... And look at you now, damn it! You might never walk again! I did this to you and I am so sorry... I've fucked you up beyond repair, all because of some stupid fucking hobby... I should go-" Reki tried to get up and turn to leave, stifling his tears as much as he could, but Langa wouldn't let go for a second.<br/>"This isn't your fault. At all. I've loved every moment of it. From you teaching me, to racing you guys," Langa gestured towards Shadow and Miya, both of them smiling slightly nervously at the mention. "It's all been amazing, truly. And I wouldn't take a single moment back. So don't blame yourself. I wanted to do this too. This is just as possible while snowboarding also, so this isn't fully to blame on the sport alone. Adam played dirty, so this is all on him. But don't go after him, as he'll only try and do this to you. And I can't have that. It would honestly break me. More than I have been already..." Langa let out a weak laugh, trying to lighten the mood, but, to no one's surprise, it didn't really work.<br/>"But this isn't fair!! We need to get back at him!!" Reki demanded, wanting to get justice for Langa.<br/>"I forbid you from going after Adam." Cherry stood up from his chair, only to be pulled back down by Joe.<br/>"He's too much at the moment. Just let it be for now." Joe advised the boy, only wanting what is best for him.<br/>"I agree with them" Shadow spoke up, siding with Joe and Cherry.<br/>"Fine, FINE. But he will pay for what he has done to you..." Reki muttered under his breath.<br/>"So, are you going under any kind treatment?" Reki asked, scared for any negative outcomes.<br/>"I think they're gonna have to remove the shattered bones soon, so that'll be a fun one..." Langa responded, his voice just showing a hint of fear.<br/>"Would you... want me to be there? With you?" Reki offered, not wanting Langa to feel alone.<br/>"You can if you want, but you probably won't see the procedure." Langa admitted, not wanting to freak Reki out.<br/>"I get that, don't worry. I just want want to be there for you..." Reki confessed as he crouched beside the bed once more, resting his head against Langa's hand.<br/>"That's probably our cue to leave..." Miya whispered to the others as they loitered awkwardly, watching the two gush about how much they cared for each other.<br/>"You're probably right..." Shadow stated as he made his way over to the door of the room, with Cherry and Joe swiftly following suit.<br/>"Thank you. Thank you so much," Reki said in an appreciative tone. "I have no idea what might have happened if you guys didn't help...".<br/>"Well, we all hope you recover as best you can Langa, and we will visit you when we are able to " Joe supported Langa as everyone but Reki made their way to leave. Soon enough, the room had become completely still, with just Reki laying his head down by Langa's side.<br/><br/>Three months. It had been three months. 12 weeks since his crash. Langa can still remember it as clear as day.<br/><br/>Reki had never failed to visit him every day since the day of the incident. He took pride in making sure Langa was healing. He stayed by him every step of the way. It had been confirmed that, because of the damage done to his legs, he wouldn't fully walk again. Not without intense physical muscle therapy first, which would take years. He knew he'd never skate again, but it reassured him that Reki still could and would in his name. Every now and again, Langa would ask Reki what it was like outside, since he couldn't go anywhere. Reki would always be as descriptive as he could. He'd always say things like:<br/>"Sunlight dances off the leaves<br/>Birds of red color the trees<br/>Flowers filled with buzzing bees"<br/>And Langa would always respond with the same phrase:<br/>"In places we won't walk".<br/>Throughout the day, or even the night, Langa would get curious about the outside life in Okinawa. He missed going out at night, so he'd get Reki to describe.<br/>"Neon lights shine bold and bright<br/>Buildings grow to dizzy heights<br/>People come alive at night" He'd say, with matching hand gestures to emphasise.<br/>"In places we won't walk".<br/><br/><em>Children cry and laugh and play</em><br/><em>Slowly hair will turn to gray</em><br/><em>We will smile to end each day</em><br/><em>In places we won't walk</em><br/><br/>He'd even get Reki to imagine scenarios every now and again, such as if they got married one day in the future. Perhaps on a beach in Okinawa somewhere.<br/>"Family look on in awe<br/>Petals decorate the floor<br/>Waves gently stroke the shore" Reki would describe, imagining it all as he spoke.<br/>"In places we won't walk".<br/><br/><em>Children cry and laugh and play</em><br/><em>Slowly hair will turn to gray</em><br/><em>We will smile to end each day</em><br/><em>In places we won't walk.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi hi hi!</p><p>This one HURT ME to write, but I really enjoyed doing it nonetheless less! Once again, this was inspired by a song! That song being "Places We Won't Walk" By Bruno Major. I hope you guys liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. And Thus The Sky Cried Heavily</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>SPOILERS FOR EPISODE SEVEN</p><p>This was written as a vent story after the release of episode seven.</p><p>Langa doesn't know if he can just let Reki go like that. They have argued. Badly. Now what?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><span>"You and I... Aren't a good match anymore..."</span> <br/><br/><span>"Reki..."</span> <br/><br/><span>--------------------------------------------------------------------------</span> <br/><br/><span>He debated in his head as to if he should just let Reki go, walking late into the dreary darkness of that rainy night. This thought was challenged by the idea of going after him, but Langa knew things were already bad as it were. He didn't want to risk making it worse... The rain poured aggressively as Reki carried on, walking away from what he once knew. From what once made him happy. From what once made him whole. He daren't cry, but silent tears had spilled and mixed with the rainwater upon the redhead's face. Langa knew, as Reki began to fade out of view, his silhouette blurring away from the light of the street lamp ahead, it was now or never. He either took a step forwards or remained rooted forever.</span> <br/><br/><span>"Reki!!" He shouted, his footsteps heavy, splashing water up onto his ankles. He ran, further and further, slowly straying away from the sterile light above him and into the dark, chasing his own personal light instead.</span><br/><span>"What?" Reki hissed back bitterly, wanting to leave things as it were.</span><br/><span>"Not a good match anymore?" Langa asked the boy, his tone painted with that of sorrow.</span><br/><span>"Of course we aren't!" Reki shouted, thinking he had already made himself clear.</span><br/><span>"You and Cherry and Joe and Shadow and Miya and... Adam... You're all miles ahead of me, so what's the point in keeping up?"</span><br/><span>"But Reki-"</span><br/><span>"No! I don't want to hear excuses right now. I couldn't care less at this point. Go skate with Adam. You're equal level anyway. It wouldn't make sense for you to stick around someone significantly lesser anyway..."</span><br/><span>This caused Langa to reach out and hold on tight to Reki's arm, wanting to make sure he wouldn wander any further.</span><br/><span>"What the hell are you- let GO!" Reki shouted as he tried to shake his arm free of Langa's grip, but to no avail.</span><br/><span>"I don't know what's gotten into you, Reki..." Langa spoke, his voice filled with upset.</span><br/><span>"And it's concerning, really..."</span><br/><span>"Well if you were so concerned, you'd hear what I'd have to SAY!" Reki shouted at the end, shaking his arm in an attempt to free himself once more.</span><br/><span>"I'm trying to listen, I really am-"</span><br/><span>"But you're not! That's the thing! We promised. YOU promised. And you've gone back on that! That isn't how promises work, Langa!" Reki continued to spit venom as Langa still held on tight.</span><br/><span>"I have told you again and again racing against Adam is a bad idea, and you just won't hear me out!"</span><br/><span>Langa hitched his breath slightly, coming to more of a realisation about how Reki really felt.</span><br/><span>"I do hear you out, I do! But I want you to realise that-" Langa was immediately cut off by Reki shouted back at him.</span><br/><span>"NO! I need YOU to realise that you're putting yourself at risk for NO REASON AT ALL! I don't know WHAT you see in that psychopath that makes you excited... You're gonna get yourself KILLED!"</span><br/><span>"He's not going to kill me, Reki..." Langa tried to console Reki, but his words barely reached the boy.</span><br/><span>"Still, you're going to get hurt. And not in a normal skater way... He's going to go out of his way to get you hospitalised! This whole tournament of his? It's just a ruse to get you to skate against him again! He KNOWS you're too good for the other S skaters, so this is all just for you to skate against him once more..." Reki spilled these words out as quickly as the rain poured. It was sudden, cold and harsh.</span><br/><span>"How do you know that?" Langa asked, confused.</span><br/><span>"How do you NOT?! Have you not picked up on the way he acts towards you?! He's a fucking CREEP and he's getting uncomfortably close to you. How can't you notice this?! He DANCES with you as you skate, he gave you ROSES FOR FUCK'S SAKE, HASEGAWA. You two take this so much more seriously because of how similar in skill you are. So go have fun with your new 'skating buddy' and make sure to remember me when you get big." A final pull on his arm had freed Reki from Langa's hand. Normally, Langa would try to stay calm and collected, but this had pulled his pin and he realised he had to be more blunt to get to the boy who could potentially fade from his life forever.</span> <br/><br/><span>"REKI!" Langa shouted as he chased after Reki once more.</span><br/><span>"What don't you get, Langa?! Leave me ALONE!"</span><br/><span>"THAT'S THE THING. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE-"</span><br/><span>This made Reki stop dead in his track. The rain beat the path with a force that created an atmosphere of white noise.</span><br/><span>"You... You don't know anything..." Reki hissed through gritted teeth.</span> <br/><br/><span>This had set something off within Reki. He had been realised. He had been picked up on. Seen. Understood. For once.</span><br/><span>"What? What don't I get?" Langa asked Reki, noticing he had stopped.</span><br/><span>"You hear it. You hear them. You know the things they say. You know."</span> <br/><br/><span>'Who's the redhead with Snow?'</span><br/><span>'Why does he stick around someone like that?'</span><br/><span>'Why is he here?'</span><br/><span>'Why is he with likes of someone like Snow?'</span><br/><span>'The one that isn't Langa'</span><br/><span>'Not nearly enough'</span> <br/><br/><span>"You're too good, Langa. You're too good for me. That's why we work no more. You are constantly so far ahead. I'm nothing like you. You're nothing like me. So carry on skating and I'll watch from the S roadsides..."</span><br/><span>"But you-"</span><br/><span>"And don't even CONSIDER for a SINGLE moment going against Adam. Even if I skate at a different level to you, it's still too much for you. Sure, it may 'excite' you and all, but neither of us can afford for you to get so hurt. You might find it exhilarating but it terrifies me to my CORE, Langa. And I can't let you do this to your because I-" Reki faltered off of that statement once more.</span><br/><span>"Because you...?" Langa tried to carry him on, knowing Reki had trailed off of that sentence before.</span><br/><span>"BECAUSE I CARE FOR YOU TOO MUCH, LANGA. How you don't see that I don't know..."</span><br/><span>"I know you care about me, Reki, but you don't need to be so concer-"</span><br/><span>"LIKE I SAID YOU DON'T GET IT" Reki started to wear thin at the constant rally of blocked statements.</span><br/><span>"Reki, like I said, you don't need to wor-"</span><br/><span>"Langa. Please. Just listen. I can't bear to see you get hurt the way I did. I know how much skating means to you but... You can't... You shouldn't... I-" Reki stopped talking to take a shaky breath, trying to stop himself from crying.</span><br/><span>'Not that Langa would notice the tears through the rain anyway' He thought as he tried to compose himself.</span><br/><span>"I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH TO LET YOU GET HURT LIKE THAT, SO PLEASE-" Reki gasped at the end of his sentence, struggling to speak or even breathe through the developing block in his throat.</span><br/><span>"Please..."</span> <br/><br/><span>Langa's face had been struck with shock as he had taken what Reki had said into perspective. Reki, amidst his own feelings and in a blur of stress, began to, slowly but surely, break down. The boy, not caring a single bit about the rain, had crumpled and balled himself up upon the ground. Langa rushed beside Reki, placing a protective arm around the boy's shoulders.</span><br/><span>"Oh, Reki, you should have said sooner..." Langa comforted Reki, feeling an immense wave of guilt wash over his body. "Is this how you truly feel?"</span><br/><span>Reki could only respond with a weak nod as he kept his head within his arms.</span><br/><span>"Do you want me to take you inside?"</span> <br/><br/><span>"Any luck finding Reki, Lang- ah! Reki, where have you been?!" His mother exclaimed as both boys entered the house, soaked to the bone and expressions filled with sorrow. Reki couldn't bring himself to say anything, so Langa filled in his words as they took their shoes off.</span><br/><span>"I'm glad to have him back, but we need some time, Ms. Kyan."</span><br/><span>"O-oh... Alright... Reki, I'm so glad you're home and safe." Reki's mother said as she tried to go in to embrace her son, but Reki kept walking. She watched the two walk past, Langa's arm still draped across Reki's shoulders, as if he were holding him up.</span><br/><span>Once they had reached Reki's bedroom, Langa had set Reki down upon his own bed. He crouched down and looked into the boy's eyes, only to see the usual shine in those amber eyes of his had been completely eradicated.</span><br/><span>'Oh, God... What happened?' Langa thought to himself as he noticed Reki couldn't look straight at him. His eyes stayed fixated upon the bare wooden flooring of his room instead.</span><br/><span>"Reki?" Langa gently asked, trying to move Reki's attention away from the emptiness of the floor. The calling of his name caused Reki to move his head. Not suddenly, but drawn out and slow, as if he had all of his energy suddenly and aggressively removed from his body. His eyes soon met Langa's, only for Langa to see how heavy, dull and lifeless Reki's had become.</span><br/><span>"Hmm?" Reki was only able to make a noise of understanding back as a response to Langa.</span><br/><span>"Want to talk me through it?"</span><br/><span>Reki only shrugged, his expression remained deadpan, the surrounding of his eyes still red and swollen.</span><br/><span>"I... Uhm... Take your time..." Langa offered as he chose to sit beside the broken boy.</span> <br/><br/><span>Seconds passed, then minutes, and soon those minutes had almost become a silent hour. Langa sat patiently beside Reki until he felt confident enough to speak up once more. Reki took a strong and deep breath and exhaled with force, then faced Langa, his eyes still empty but showing an emotion of desperation.</span><br/><span>"I... What do I do?" Reki asked shakily as his voice wavered, ever so slightly scared for what Langa might just say.</span><br/><span>"That's... A very broad question, Reki-"</span><br/><span>"How do I do it? How do I get as good as you? As high as you? As loved as you? How do you do it? How can I do it? How do I stop them saying those things? How do I reach your unreachable light?" Reki's filter had completed crumbled at this point, his words spilled out from his mouth, questions running out like a river.</span><br/><span>"I- Okay, take your time... One question at a time, Reki..." Langa attempted to comfort and calm Reki. "Like I said, take your time. I know I can't quite say 'practice', as I know you have been. For many years now. And thanks to my board, which you made, don't forget, I can use skills and techniques from when I learned snowboarding to help me. I can always teach you some time."</span><br/><span>"That would be nice..." Reki whispered back at the offer.</span><br/><span>"And thanks to these techniques I know, it sets my skating style apart from the others. That's why. It's nothing to do with you, well, nothing bad to do with you. You were the one to help teach me, but they don't know that. They don't know a lot, to be honest. What do they seem to be saying?" Langa spoke to Reki, wanting to know what's kept him so down and low.</span><br/><span>"The one that isn't Snow. Not nearly enough. 'Why is Snow around someone like him so much?', 'Why is he here?'... It's not just one person... There's so... so many of them..." Reki recited, fighting the urge to cry once more.</span><br/><span>"But you're so skilled-"</span><br/><span>"But I'm not you, am I? I don't have your fancy tricks or your technique or your crazy normalcy towards... Him... I'm just another S skater compared to you or Miya or Joe or Cherry or Shadow..."</span><br/><span>This stunned Langa into a brief silence. The thunderous drumming of the rain against the bedroom window gave the room an intense atmosphere.</span><br/><span>"What do I need to say to you in order to make you believe me?" Langa broke his own silence, becoming more concerned by the minute.</span><br/><span>"There's nothing you can say. Just please, help me be more like you..." Reki pleaded, only wanting to be happy in his own skills.</span><br/><span>"Why would you want that? You want to be recognised for your own talent, right? So, if I teach you to be exactly like me, you'll only be known as 'Snow's shadow' or 'Snow's copy', and I'd hate that just as much as you would."</span><br/><span>"But-"</span><br/><span>Langa cut Reki off with a compromise.</span><br/><span>"I'll help you. I want to help you. I really do. But I won't make you exactly like me. I'll teach you bits and pieces while also helping you with your own specialities, okay? Think of it as paying you back for everything you have taught me." Langa sat in baited breath, hoping Reki would respond at all.</span><br/><span>"I... I'd like that..."</span> <br/><br/><span>"Still, please, don't go against Adam..."</span><br/><span>"I want to though..."</span><br/><span>"Langa. Seriously. I'm not fucking kidding when I say that man is insane. He WILL break you. So please, for your own good..."</span><br/><span>"But it's exciting-"</span><br/><span>"Langa, that isn't excitement, that's adrenaline and fear. You'll either not make it out or only just. I... I love you too much to even think of the possibilities of what might just happen-"</span><br/><span>Once again, hearing that word being used toward him, Langa stopped. His whole body and mind froze, but not in a negative way. He could slowly feel his blood rush to his face.</span><br/><span>"O-okay, aside from the Adam thing, you... you mean that?" Langa asked, scared he may have misinterpreted. Reki looked at the boy, confused.</span><br/><span>"Of course I mean that. I wouldn't joke about that kind of thing. You mean so much to me. I find it hard to put it into words..." Reki fidgeted, uncomfortable in the situation he had put himself in, alongside his irritatingly damp clothes causing a disturbance.</span><br/><span>"It's like... You're this light. You're bright. And warm. And welcoming. But recently I haven't been feeling that as much... And I'm scared... I really am, Langa... I'm scared of losing you. Of falling behind. Of Adam taking you away... I can't lose you. I don't want to lose you. Please don't leave. Don't race him." Reki spilled as he felt a tense feeling in his chest. Langa was stunned by this reaction, taken aback by these words. After all this, Langa had noticed the life slowly coming back to Reki's eyes.</span><br/><span>"I'll never leave you, whether it be purposeful or accidental. I'm always here, Reki. I love you too much to go..."</span><br/><span>Taking in what Langa had said, Reki realised what Langa had said and began to feel a little more like himself.</span><br/><span>"Wait- You- I- Do you-" Reki tripped up on his words, feeling a whoke range of emotions.</span><br/><span>"Yes. Yes. I very much do, Reki. And I promise, as much as I want to skate against Adam, I will try not to as much as I can. For your sake. That I won't back out on." Langa promised, looking back into Reki's eyes, now more colourful and full of life, albeit a little glazed over.</span><br/><span>"You promise?"</span><br/><span>"I promise. Truly"</span><br/><span>"Do you think signing up to the tournament is a good idea?" Reki asked Langa, wanting to know Langa's perspective now he had heard Reki's.</span><br/><span>"I'll only sign up if you do. I'll go down with you" Langa responded, smiling slightly.</span><br/><span>"Who knows? It could be fun!" Reki continued, any tones of sorrow in his voice had disappeared. "Just don't go up against Adam on purpose, okay?"</span><br/><span>"Okay, okay" Langa laughed softly as he knew Reki had come back once and for all.</span><br/><span>"So, you up for a little tournament?" Reki teased.</span><br/><span>"You bet!"</span> <br/><br/><span>The rain carried on throughout the night as the two crashed out together. The once aggressive and thunderous noise became tranquil and calming. Like an argument diffused. Like an issue resolved. Like a strain released. And all at once, there wasn't a concern in the world that could scare the two.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi all.</p><p>This chapter was written as an emotional vent after the ending of episode seven, as it has hurt me in such a way... I hope you all enjoy this one!</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I Don't Love It Much At All</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A slight future skip in which Reki's inferiority complex attemps to sabotage his relationship with Langa.</p><p> </p><p>Be prepared for an unsuspecting ending</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The date was March 4th. The weather wasn't necessarily warm, but it wasn't cold either. The sky was awash with a multitude of greys, ranging from charcoals to ashy tones. Reki Kyan sat at home, the overcast sky just visible outside of his window, trying to focus on his maths work. It had been irritating him for the past couple hours by then, so he figured he'd just get it done. He wasn't the smartest at maths, but he sure as hell tried when he put his mind to it. Pencil scratched gently against paper as equations were scrawled out across the gridded lines. About half way through, Reki's mind had begun to wander. Wander to thoughts of skating. Of being free. Of Langa. </p><p>The two had officially started dating during the middle of the tournament Ainosuke had set up in order to get to Langa. All the concern Langa had about Reki had overflowed, considering his sudden disappearance, so he had confessed in front of everyone at S. This took Reki aback a little, but by no means did he reject. He was content, comfortable and pleased to have Langa back by his side once more. Sure, it pissed Adam off, but Reki found this humorous. </p><p>Months had passed by then and Ainosuke had been forced to renounced skating by Snake, Tadashi Kikuchi, his old 'servant'. Langa had been, unfortunately, beaten by Joe in their beef, but he knew Joe won fair and square. Well, as fair as an S beef can be. Snake had won the competition over all, beating Adam by mere seconds, which had surprised the audience as much as Langa's confession had made them, if not more so. The love that Reki and Langa had shared then was a love most sweet and sincere. They were so happy together, as an enthusiastic pair. </p><p>The pressure from Reki's hand caused the graphite of his pencil snap against the paper, an aggressive grey smudge appearing beneath is. Unbeknownst to his friends and family alike, Reki's feelings of inferiority had begun to sabotage this relationship he was so comfortable in before. Pushing his homework aside, Reki lead himself over to his bed, where he pushed his face into his pillow, just wanting his head to be clear for once. He knew Langa was too good for him. Out of his league, as one would say. It didn't help with the fact Langa was still miles ahead in superiority when it came to skating. His skill, his speed, his finesse. It was so hard for him to catch up to, even when Langa taught him everything he'd done before. Reki had just come to terms he simply wasn't as good as Langa is. Or Cherry Blossom. Or Joe. Miya. Shadow. Snake. These doubts and discomforts slowly grew up on him, his eyes slowly becoming heavy and tired. He second guessed anything and everything at this point, doubting every word and feeling he came across. That emptiness from when Langa wasn't around him no longer stayed within him anymore. He missed him, yes, but he no longer felt that feeling of the need for attachment. Over time, more and more feelings of his had begun to subside. </p><p>'Was it all in the spur of the moment?' He thought to him self, thinking back to accepting Langa's confession. His head, back then, was overflowing with thoughts and didn't quite know how to handle the situation, so maybe it was just as he thought... His heart didn't beat as fast, his head didn't rush as much, that distance between the two being pushed further and further out, bit by bit. He had an inkling of what he needed to do, but he wasn't sure if he had the strength to pull through. He rolled over and pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked the screen and set his sights on contacting Langa. </p><p>'You: Hey. You free to meet?' Reki typed as he rolled his eyes. He sounded so informal and he hated it. He knew he needed to speak to Langa in person instead of texting or calling him. </p><p>'Langa &lt;3: Of course! I'd love to see you again' Reki's stomach and heart sank as he read those words over and over again. He hated the enthusiasm behind those words. The optimism, the energy, the way in which it seemed like Langa was completely oblivious to the way he felt. He dreaded this plan, but he had no other way. </p><p>'You: Are you free now? I'm ready to go when you are.' Reki responded, only wanting to get his feelings out as soon as he could. Keeping them pent up the way he did would only make him worse. </p><p>'Langa &lt;3: I've been free for a while, so I'll see you soon. Skate park?' Great. Langa took it as a 'skate date', as he liked to call them. </p><p>'You: Skate park works for me. No need for board though.' Reki responded, hoping the request for not bringing his board wouldn't confuse the other boy. </p><p>'Langa &lt;3: No problem! See you then!' Reki didn't respond to this, instead he threw his phone to the side and pushed himself up from his bed. 'It's in motion now. It can't be helped.' He knew what he felt, but he was scared Langa wouldn't understand.</p><p> </p><p>Reki started swinging his legs over the bench as he waited for Langa to arrive. He'd periodically check his phone from time to time, seeing if Langa had updated him on his journey. Reki stared out into the sunset before him, his mind racing with thoughts.<br/>'Am I doing the right thing? How's he going to feel? What if he doesn't understand? What if he-'. These thoughts were interrupted by the placing of a gentle hand upon his shoulder. </p><p>"Hey Reki." Langa smiled softly as he made his way around to sit next to the boy. The icy blue boy had leaned in gently for a kiss from his boyfriend, only to be evaded. Reki moved his head straight past Langa's and rested it atop his shoulder. </p><p>"Hey..." Reki greeted him back, his arms wrapping around Langa's waist. Langa knew something was up immediately, but he didn't know what caused it. </p><p>"Reki? What's wrong?" Langa asked, embracing the hug with hesitant arms. Reki stayed silent, his head leaning against Langa's neck. </p><p>"Is this why you asked to meet up?" Langa carried on, a feeling of concern began to rise within him. Reki could only bring himself to nod in answer. </p><p>"That's okay, love, take your time." Langa attempted to reassure and comfort Reki, still unsure as to what might have brought this on. They sat, embraced and silent, until Reki raised his head back up again, looking out into the horizon instead of at Langa. Reki took a deep breath and thought over what he was going to say. He exhaled and started, his heart racing with nerves. </p><p>"How have you been feeling?" He asked, still looking away from Langa. He already felt his eyes begin to sting as tears threatened to form. </p><p>"I mean, I've been pretty well, thank you. How have-" </p><p>"No. How have you been feeling?" Reki cut Langa's sentence off, repeating his question, this time gesturing at his heart. </p><p>"Oh! Right, well, I... Wait, Reki, are you alright? How come you ask all of a sudden?" Langa stopped himself, starting to come to a realisation that Reki might be referring to something. </p><p>Reki only responded with a sigh, looking up as to stop himself from crying once more. </p><p>"Can I be honest with you? I need to be truthful." Reki requested, knowing that everything he'd say from here on out, if Langa wanted to hear, would be his truth. </p><p>"Of course you can. Say what you need to say, Reki." </p><p>Reki took a deep breath in and closed his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"I am not chosen, or that unique. Honestly, you are and you chose me." Reki started, his voice began to show signs of wavering as he slowly had less and less control over the way he felt. </p><p>"What do you mean? You're just as amazing, Reki. You need to understand that. Of course I'd choose you. I'd choose you over anyone." Langa consoled the boy, placing his hand against the other boy's cheek. Reki could only shoot him a look of sorrow in return to this gesture. </p><p>"Maybe I fucked up everything... Is this how it feels to be blue?" Reki carried on as best as he could, keeping his cries at bay with all of the emotional power he had left. He knew Langa had a hard time understanding communication and emotions, but he couldn't help but wonder what the feeling he was haunted by even was. </p><p>"How on Earth would you have messed up, Reki? You haven't done anything wrong. At all. What's making you feel like this?" Langa knew something was deeply troubling the boy, but he didn't understand what or why. </p><p>"You said you'd love me, no matter what. You said you'd love me, is that what I loved?" This statement made Langa's eyes widen with the most bitter sense of worry. </p><p>"I do. I really do. I love you no matter what. What do you mean 'is that what I loved?', Reki. Please. Talk to me." Langa relayed his confessions of love once more, his heart beating strongly against his chest. For Langa's rushed heartbeats, Reki felt almost nothing at all. As soon as he had started speaking, all had gone numb. </p><p>"All of these choices messed me up... And everyone's mean, except you." Reki's truths had developed from a small, rolling snowball to an avalance. They surrounded him, encasing him in a cold, dark binding. </p><p>"Except for me? I know all of those things that were said back at S those months back, but are people still talking? Do you want to talk about it?" Langa offered to listen, but Reki only wanted to say what was on his mind there and then. </p><p>"I don't, really..." Reki took a sharp and long breath through barred teeth. "Here's the thing..."</p><p> </p><p>"I think I probably wasn't in love with you." </p><p>His voice faltered as he struggled to find the words. The world went dark around him for a moment as everyone seemed so trivial all at once. </p><p>"I think I probably loved the idea of you" </p><p>He thought back to their past memories. Meeting Langa for the first time. Introducing him to skating. Langa's race against Shadow and his jump. The race against Miya, against Adam. Their trip to the beach together. All those instances, he thought what he felt was love. </p><p>"And though I may be missing the feel of you, I think I probably wasn't in love with you." </p><p>Reki balled the fabric of his hoodie up in his fist atop his heart. He missed Langa. He missed his company. But not as much as he used to. He missed that feeling of missing. </p><p>"I said it 'cause I no longer wanted to hurt." </p><p>He remembered that time. His confidence hit an all time low, with no uplift in sight. Everyone around him had surpassed him in so many ways, and he had no way of catching up. No matter how hard he tried to keep up, to keep practicing, to keep going, nothing really felt like it happened. He well and truly blamed himself for how Langa turned out. He blamed himself for making Langa so unreachable. And it hurt. All too much to handle at a constant. He just wanted it to stop. So he gave out on his feelings and accepted Langa's instead. </p><p>"I said it back to you 'cause you said it first." </p><p>He knew Langa was the one to confess first, hence why he answered the way he did. Any of the energy he had left had gone to listening to Langa then, not answering him. He never truly knew how he felt, but as time went on, he felt like it had become more and more clear. Maybe it was the lack of energy. Or the pressure of being surrounded by hundreds. Or even his own sheer confusion and shock from the statement. Reki didn't know. He just understood now he wasn't as sincere as he was before. </p><p>"And though I may be wishing it wasn't true, I think I probably wasn't in love with you." </p><p>Reki completely let himself go, his voice failing him near the end of his sentence, his heart ached and eyes flooded with tears. His vision became blurred and smudged, and he couldn't bring himself to even look in Langa's direction. He kept himself facing directly towards the sinking sun, his tears shone the most agonisingly beautiful gold. </p><p>"Reki..." Langa struggled to find the words, taken completely aback by what Reki had confessed to. He had a million words to say, and all he could articulate was the name. The name of the boy he still loved so dearly. The name of the boy who loved him no longer. </p><p>"I'm so sorry..." Reki could only bring himself to apologise, as words started to fail him. Langa sat and cried silent, wide eyed and his pale skin overrun with tears. He didn't think it would be this soon. He didn't think this would happen. Ever. Words, too, failed Langa as they sat together in silence, the only sounds passed being the struggling breathing of the two as they cried. </p><p>"Yeah, I know this is gonna break your heart. But is this all that life's about? Tryna love how you turn out? I don't love it much at all." Reki got himself up, turning to leave. Langa grabbed at Reki's wrist, not ready for him to go. </p><p>"Please stay." Langa said in a hushed tone. A slight jerk from Reki's arm and Langa's weakened grip slipped away from the wrist. All too soon, Reki had gone. The sun sank below the horizon, leaving Langa alone to his devices. </p><p> </p><p>The light left with Reki. And Langa knew he'd have to try his damn hardest to get that light back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! Been some time! I'm sorry about this one, as it is angst that follows angst. I just had to write this. I based it off of the song 'Turning Out Pt. II' by AJR. I hope you guys like this one!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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